The Perfect Duet
by SimplisticDreams
Summary: Rin Kagamine is the new leading soprano at the Vocaloid Opera House.  But there is a rumor that says that all the previous divas mysteriously disappeared.  Will the same happen to her?  And who is this mysterious boy that is in love with her? R&R!
1. The Audition

**_A/N: _**This story was spawned from the inspiration that I got when I watched the mirror scene in Phantom of the Opera. Then suddenly plot bunny spasms attacked me and I got inspiration for a RinxLen fan fiction. This is based on Phantom of the Opera, but it has it's own twists and turns and it's own plot. Only the basic concept is inspired from Phantom of the Opera. By the way-Rin and Len are reflections-not twins and I am a huge RinxLen shipper when it comes to Vocaloid pairings. If you have a problem with that, then this story is not for you. XD

This is also rated T because this story WILL get pretty dark and there probably will be some intense romance scenes between Rin and Len later. Nothing sexual, though, as I make it a standard not to write those types of things.

* * *

_Chapter 1: The Audition_

"Rin Kagamine?"

Rin suddenly raised her head as if she didn't expect the voice that now suddenly called her. She quickly stood on her feet from her dusty chair, facing the rather indifferent-looking man pushing his glasses up and taking a pen to a paper. There was a moment of awkward silence as he scribbled something on the paper until he looked up and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Well, go on—you're next."

Rin was expecting him to lead her out onto the stage, but she found as she headed out of the dusty, old, cobweb ridden backstage, he had followed closely behind her. His presence was somewhat of a disturbance—but then again, everything was at that moment. The slightest pin drop was enough to make her jump and be a nervous wreck. Butterflies were an endless plague in her stomach.

"Now, Rin..." She told herself, "Remember what your teacher told you... take deep breaths and do your best."

By now, she had reached the front of the ornate stage. There were statues of figures twisting their bodies around to create an elaborate design and gold carvings accompanied by deep scarlet curtains drawn back for the moment. The candles at the very front of the stage were lit, illuminating Rin's pale, nervous face. She felt that she could not match up to the grandeur of this place with her simple dress that she wore. In the house, she could see three old men sitting, all with pieces of paper in hand and pens frantically flying across them. Their faces were hard to make out in the darkness, but Rin could hear every single movement that came from them.

"You may start at any time." One spoke.

Rin's heart seemingly flew across her chest as she lowered her hands to her side to prepare to sing. Closing her eyes for a moment, she breathed deeply and briefly thought of the song she would sing, and how she should come into it. Now moving her entire body, Rin began to sing.

She heard her voice echo throughout the hall—the acousitcs were wonderful. She was not sure how she was doing, though. Rin was concentrating on every single technique that she learned and all the phrasing that she practiced. She dared not look at the expressions of the three men that sat in the house. She would only see them in the corner of her gaze, glancing at each other and scribbling across their papers. As Rin sung the last note, she let it fade into the silence of the hall, and paused for a moment.

Silence.

The next thing she heard was, "Thank you. You may go."

Rin quickly walked off the stage and passed the indifferent-looking man, who suddenly stopped her.

"Please wait in the entrance hall with the other auditionees and we'll make the announcement when everyone has finished auditioning."

After he finished speaking, Rin quickly continued forward once again. Though she had noticed something strange about the indifferent man—there was a tear in his eye... Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Did she sing so beautifully, she had made him cry? Or did she sing so terribly, that he was wincing in pain?

When she entered the hall where the rest of the girls were waiting, there was an awkward air of competition among them even though they had already auditioned. All the other girls there were dressed much more finely than her—surely matching the ornate entrance hall much better than she was. They most likely came from richer families with teachers that were better paid. Rin overheard the conversation of two other girls.

"There are a lot of auditionees here... I wonder which one will get the part of the diva?"

"Well, this is the most famous opera house in the country—naturally there will be many girls auditioning. But you see Neru over there?" The other replied, "I heard she had a spectacular audition."

Rin suddenly heard the voice of another girl in a different conversation.

"Haven't you heard? All the divas that sing here end up mysteriously disappearing... that's why they have so many auditions for the diva."

"That's only some silly legend, though. The reason why they probably have so many auditions is because they're so strict and whoever sings the part of the diva doesn't last long... if I get the part, I'll be able to hold out, though."

Rin's heart sank a little. It was her dream to sing in this opera house ever since her father had taken her to see a performance when he was still alive. If she made it, by some slim chance, what a shattering thing it would be if she was suddenly kicked out because she couldn't sing well enough? She suddenly started panicking about her audition—had she sung it precisely the way she had practiced it? Had she missed several notes without realizing it? Had her voice cracked? She fretted like this until the last girl came in from auditioning.

They had waited for another half hour before the three men that had sat in the house came out into the entrance hall, holding stacks of papers. Some girls behind rin were murmuring to each other and in the middle of their conversations, she had picked out the phrase, "quick decision." It was strange finally seeing the faces of the three men, who she recognized as the two opera house managers and the maestro, in the light so suddenly. Rin almost did not expect them to look the way they did.

"We'd like to thank you all who auditioned today. We have heard many wonderful voices today, but alas, we must come to only one decision. And we three must say, that it was a fairly easy decision—this woman's voice is incredibly stunning and we have no doubt she will be a wonderful diva here."

A pause.

Rin always hated the pause. Whenever she had sung in contests when she was younger, she always hated the inevitable pause they put in before announcing the results. Suddenly, the silence was broken.

"We have decided to choose Rin Kagamine to be our next diva and leading soprano." The maestro glanced at her, ushering her towards them, "Would you please come forward?"

Rin hesitated a moment, wondering if they had really called her name. And when she stepped forward, she noticed the collective gasps and murmurs that erupted behind her. She noticed the girl pointed out to be Neru with an incredibly angered face that quickly turned to sobbing. The other girls dressed in finer attire narrowed their eyes at Rin in venomous jelousy. When reached the two opera house managers and the maestro, they turned her around to face the crowd that lay before her. One hesitant clapping of hands ushered another and another, and soon the hall was filled with a light applause that lasted for only a moment, but it brought a smile to Rin's face, regardless.

Her childhood dream, in a single moment, blossomed into reality. And quietly to herself she muttered,

"I did it, father..."

* * *

_Dear Teacher,_

_You won't believe it! I made it into the Vocaloid Opera House as the diva! I almost can't believe it myself—it's a dream come true. I can't believe they selected a young eighteen year-old girl like me. There were so many much older girls there that sounded as if they had teachers that flew overseas just to coach them. But it's all thanks to te wonderful tutoring you gave me that I was able to get the leading soprano part. And I'm sure you know that if father was still alive, he'd be very pleased._

_I am to move from the orphanage to live in the opera house tomorrow. Rehearsals are beginning right away for me and the performance is at the start of the next week! I do not think I will be able to take lessons from you anymore due to the circumstances, but I cannot thank you enough. I will try my very best._

_Sincerely,_

_Rin Kagamine_

As Rin made the last stroke of her pen, she glanced over her letter with satisfaction as well as gratitude. At last her life was moving forward, at last she was able to begin the dream she had told her father about and promised that she would do. Carefully, she folded the piece of paper, placed it in an envelope and adressed it to her teacher. She then turned from her desk and began packing her clothes and few belongings into her only suitcase.

The next day, Rin found herself standing before the opera house once more. As she gazed upon the opera house, a mixture of feelings overwhelmed her. Confidence, triumph, nervousness, hesitation... Looking upon the towering, elegant structure before her Rin slowly began to move toward it, clutching her suitcase a little tighter in her hand. She felt awfully small as she stepped up the steps just and walked toward the towering door just as she had the day of her audition. At first Rin wondered if she should knock, but she then settled with merely opening the door. Rin peaked her head through the crack she had made in the door, looking once again into the grand entrance hall. As if by coincidence, the opera house managers were coming down the stairs and had just noticed here.

"Ah, Rin, we were just expecting you! Come in, come in!"

Rin hurriedly walked in and closed the door behind her and lightly trotted toward them.

"Such a frantic girl, you are." The manager on the left chuckled.

"This is such a huge change for me." Rin gasped.

"Well, come along, we shall take you to your quarters and we shall measure you for your costumes straight away. We start rehearsals with the entire cast tomorrow—is that all you brought?" The manager gestured toward her suitcase.

"Yes, it's all I have, sir."

"Surely a diamond in the rough." The other manager whispered to the other.

Rin silently followed them to her quarters, listening to their brief descriptions of the rooms and corridors they passed through. She saw the occasional chorus member and dancer passing by them giving her an odd glance or a murmur if they were not alone. When they had brought Rin to her room, it was definitely more than what she was expecting. It was adorned with scarlet wall paper with delicate carvings in the corners of the room and on the floor, a plush carpet lay under her feet. However, what completely caught her attention the most was a beautiful, full, golden mirror at the end of the room that seemingly stared back at her when Rin looked into it—into her reflection.

"Well, then we'll leave you to settle, and the tailoress should be in her in a moment."

And with that, Rin was alone in the room that was now hers. Something seemed mysterious about it. Everything stared at her—from the vases of flowers that sat on the dressers to the framed paintings on the walls. But it was mostly the mirror that seemed to stare the most into her soul. Setting her suitcase at the foot of her bed, she walked toward the mirror and stared into her reflection once more. Her layered blonde hair framed her pale, softly angled face and her deep blue eyes stared back at her in wonder. Finally she shook her head—how silly... to be entranced by such a thing. She dusted her plain dress and turned to the door when she heard a knock.

"Come in," she said.

As expected it was the tailoress that came through the door frame—carrying a basket of sewing supplies and a long tape measure rested around her neck. But unexpected was the maestro that followed her into the room, who was clutching a full score in his hand.

"I am terribly sorry for such a late notice... but here is the score for our next performance. Would you look over your part for tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes, of course." Rin took the score from his hands, "I'll gladly look it over tonight."

"Very good—thank you. If you wish, there is a small chapel area in the lower level if you wish to practice in a more subdued place rather than have everyone hear you behind the walls of this room." He chuckled and with that, he left the room.

Rin softly giggled in response to make the situation less awkward, but he already had his back to her and he had left her alone with the tailoress, who was already at work measuring her waist. Rin quietly opened the score to the first few pages—it was some of the hardest music she has ever seen. And naturally, her part was the leading female role. At first a sigh escaped her lips.

"Is something wrong?" The tailoress asked, measuring another part of her body.

"No, nothing's wrong." Rin quickly replied, and then she thought to herself, _"I will do my best."_

_

* * *

_

That night Rin wandered her way into the small chapel in the lower level that the maestro had told her about. It was a dark room with only streaks of soft blue moonlight that hit the colored stained glass windows at the top of the walls. Rin noticed unlit candles lining the altar in front of a crucifix, and placing the score under her arm, she lit the candles with spare matches that were placed near the candles. A soft glow illuminated the darkness, and a soft warmth touched her face. Satisfied, she took the score in her hands again and looked over the notes once more. The song that appeared to be the hardest for her was the aria in the third act—it seemed to to be the extent of her range.

"Then I shall practice this song first." She muttered to herself.

Closing her eyes, she imagined what the music would sound like. She thought of how the music would be phrased and how certain notes would flow to each other. Opening her eyes, she glanced over the first line and began to sing where no one could hear her.

Or so she thought—

Down below. Deep below in a level that no one had really known about someone could hear her. Her voice pierced below in the cold air and reached the ears of a boy. Once, what seemed to be, the angelic bells reached him, he immediately stopped all movement and remained still... listening. It was a voice he was unfamiliar with—perhaps the new diva? Then quietly he sung to himself, matching his voice to hers in beautiful harmony and suddenly his heart skipped a beat as he ran over to his piano and began to play a few notes—a song that would match this beautiful angel's tone.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Just a fun fact-I based Rin's auditioning process under personal experiences of my own. So I hope Rin's emotions were "real" there. XD


	2. Through the Mirror

_**A/N: **_PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE STATUS OF UPDATING FOR THIS STORY. I was kind of surprised to the response I got. XD (Considering that Vocaloid is such a broad category and that there are many fan fictions) and there was a lot of demand for an update. As I am happy to create fast updates for you-I'm afraid I will be unable to write this story as fast as I'd like after this chapter. The reason? One word: school. I'm in a pretty crazy semester that has me going until the evenings on some days. And I was thrown one of those unnecessary projects that have nothing to do with my major... WELL, that's enough of me ranting-let's get to what really matters, okay? Enjoy!

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_Chapter 2: Through the Mirror_

It had taken three people to put Rin's first costume on for the rehearsal. She must have stood for at least an hour as layers of skirts were placed around her waist and bows attached to her and glimmering jewels placed in her hair. She glanced over to the mirror and could hardly recognize herself. She wore a deep scarlet and black dress lined with gold at the hem of the skirt and at the bust. Her hair was knotted into an elaborate hair ornament that she never would have imagined to wear in her entire life. She was to play the wife of a noble in this opera—well, she surely looked the part.

When Rin's three attendants were finished dressing her in her costume, she left her quarters and descended the stairs until she had reached the backstage where the bustling crowd of chorus members and dancers mingled with each other. She thought she was not making herself noticed, but was quickly proven wrong when all eyes turned toward her after she had stepped off the stairs. The loud voices turned to murmurs and whispers and all eyes were on her. Rin pretended not to notice and looked down at her dress and pretended to fix something.

"Rin? Is that you?"

It was such a familiar voice that called her. Rin looked up immediately toward the crowd and saw a girl with long , impeccably straight turquoise hair pushing her way through. There was a broad smile on her face and when she met Rin's eyes, memories suddenly rushed into her mind. Rin smiled and walked toward her.

"Miku!"

Miku Hatsune fell into Rin's arms after pushing her way through the last few people at the front of the crowd, who had begun to go about their own ways again. She parted from Rin and smiled brightly once again, bouncing up and down on her feet with excitement.

"It has been so long since I've seen you!"

"I did not know you were singing in the opera house!" Rin's smile was just as bright, "But I suppose I'm not surprised—you were talented even back then."

When Rin looked upon Miku's bright smile, all at once she reminisced of their childhood. Before Rin's father died, the two played together often and attended the same school. They played together often and, for a time, had the same tutor for singing. Frequently, usually on warm mornings, they would lay in the grass together under a large maple tree and dream of many things—the future, love, but mostly they dreamed together of singing at the Vocaloid Opera House. They would dream of how they would sing together on the beautiful and elaborate stage with thousands of faces looking at them in awe of their voices ringing throughout the hall. And now as Rin and Miku faced each other, their dreams had become more than just childish rambling.

"So what part are you singing? It must be a major roll with that elaborate costume of yours." Miku eyed Rin's costume with wide eyes.

"I'm singing the lead soprano part—the diva."

Miku suddenly stopped and stared into Rin's eyes with a drastic change in expression. At first Rin thought it was jealousy, but she quickly disregarded that thought—Miku was like a sister to her, she'd be nothing but proud of her. Her eyes were saying something else. Was it concern? Worry? Fear?

"What's wrong, Miku?"

Miku quickly gained her composure and shook her head, "Nothing—if it's you singing the part of the diva, I'm sure it will be the best this opera house has seen." Her smile was bright once more.

Rin flushed, "Thank you!"

"Rin! There you are!"

Rin turned to find the opera house managers approaching her, but this time with a third person. He was a tall man, with eyes as blue as the sea before a storm and hair rivaling it with a similar shade. He had a handsome face, and Rin noticed that when he approached, Miku seemed to flush and she looked off somewhere in the distance away from the three men that walked toward them.

"I'd like to introduce you to our leading tenor, Kaito."

"Pleased to meet you," Rin curtsied as he approached.

"The pleasure is mine." He took her hand in his and kissed it.

"You two will be working together quite often as the lead rolls in all of our plays, so I hope you two will get along well. Now if you please, rehearsal is going to start any moment now."

"Right away," Kaito replied in a smooth voice. However, before he walked from them, he turned and held his hand toward Miku, who seemed to be staring at something intensely interesting on the ground, "And good day to you, Miku."

Bright and red, Miku quickly shot her head upward and stared into Kaito's eyes before gently lifting a shaking hand into his palm. His lips touched her pale knuckles and grew even brighter. Rin didn't think she was capable of turning more red. Looking at both of them with piercing eyes, Kaito turned and walked toward the stage. Once he was out of sight, Rin turned toward Miku and sneered.

"Do you know him?" She chuckled?

"It's n-nothing... it's time to start rehearsal now!" Miku giggled and quickly trotted away.

* * *

Rin had never been more nervous in a rehearsal in her entire life. Usually when she performed in front of her tutor, she sung with confidence, but here she dreaded making even the slightest mistake. Fortunately for her, she had kept her composure and had made only the tiniest mistakes. But what she was truly nervous about was the aria in the third act. After going through the first two acts and making several costume changes, Rin now found herself in a dress as white as the morning light touching the snow. Beautiful jewels adorned her hair and a pair of wings was the final touch to have her appear more angelic.

She stepped forward to the front of the stage as the backstage workers moved the props around, creating a suitable set. Clutching the score, Rin eyed the maestro who seemed to be glancing at the workers, waiting for them to finish. Once he was satisfied, he nodded toward Rin and raised his baton.

"From the beginning of the aria, then."

All eyes from off-stage were on her—for this was the first time they would hear their diva singing a solo of her own. They watched with great anticipation and with a bit of uneasiness. The maestro brought his baton and left hand up, preparing the silence before the music, then gracefully lifted it up. The moment the tip of the baton tapped an imaginary point, beautiful colors of sound rose into the air and Rin lifted her eyes upward. Now it was her place to enter...

Once again Rin's voice rang through the hall as if the tone of angels had descended from Heaven. Those were weren't paying much attention now were completely engaged and those who were eagerly waiting for her to sing drew in even closer. And from the corner just beyond off-stage, Kaito, who had thought that Rin was just as the other divas before, quickly turned to face her. There was something in her voice that caught him—that ensnared him to his soul. He slowly walked toward her, gently pushing his way through the crowd until he made his way to the front. Kaito stared at her, now completely enchanted by her. Everything in his entire being began to desire her and yearn for her as his heart flew in his chest. Rin was most definitely not like the divas from before—this diva he had fallen in love with.

At the night of the performance, the crowd that filled the house was just as mesmerized as the cast members, who were once again listening from off stage. And as Rin sang, she could hardly hold back the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. At last she was here, at last her fantasy had unfolded and she wondered if she was making her father proud in Heaven.

And a gaze from above was indeed looking down on her. He was concealed as the shadows one would merely pass by without notice and he was as silent as the light of a new moon. However his heart and soul rang out as brilliantly as the tone of Rin's voice. Up above in the catwalk, the boy stared down at the angel he was entranced with. Now that he could hear her voice clearly, his heart beat at the sound of her voice even more. In his head, melodies and songs swirled all around and drifted together. She was so close to him now... and how he longed to speak with her—to sing with her. Perhaps she was the one... And gently he reached out toward her, imagining that he was stroking her beautiful golden hair.

When Rin reached the last phrase and finished singing the final note, the entire house erupted in an applause and immediately stood on their feet. A smile spread across Rin's face when she heard the clapping and cheering and bowed her head deeply as she curtsied. Glancing off stage, Rin could see Miku hopping up and down in excitement, quickly rapping her hands together. Turning toward the audience once more, Rin bowed one last time as the scarlet curtains closed on her.

"Bravo..." The boy had whispered from above.

* * *

The next thing Rin knew, she had heard the sudden sound of glasses clashing together. The performance had finished with great success and all the cast had gathered backstage to celebrate. A loud "hurrah" sounded in the air as one of the cast members stood up on an empty crate and boisterously cried,

"To our new diva, Rin Kagamine!"

Another cheer rang through the air and the crowd now bustled in loud murmurs of conversation. Rin could not find a moment of silence as all those who passed her congratulated her on receiving the part and for executing such a wonderful performance. However when a warm embrace took hold of her, she immediately recognized it.

"Miku!" She turned around to find the smile of the glistening turquoise two-tail.

"Rin, that was beautiful! I can understand why you were the one to be selected to be the diva!" There was a slight hint of relief in her eyes.

Rin wanted to ask her what was wrong at first, but the atmosphere around her made the impression on her that there was nothing wrong and she merely replied with a smile. Suddenly she sensed a second presence looming over her and suddenly Miku grew stiff. Looking behind her, Rin found Kaito staring down at her with an odd gaze which had slowly progressed to this appearance throughout the week.

"You sung so well." He said rather calmly, "It was such a pleasure performing with you."

"No, the pleasure is mine." Rin flushed—all these compliments were getting to her head.

The next remark she did not expect.

"Would you mind dining with me tonight?" He said with now a slightly crooked smile on his face.

Rin immediately looked back at Miku, who was standing behind her rather shocked as well. Turning toward Kaito, to Miku, and then back at Kaito again, Rin smiled.

"Would you mind if Miku came as well? She is my childhood friend after all—I would be very happy if she was to accompany us."

For a very brief moment, Kaito frowned, but it was so quick, neither Rin nor Miku could register it. He softly put a smile across his face once again, "I do not mind at all." He stepped back, beginning to turn away as he said, "Then I shall allow you two to change your attire. I will meet you at the front of the opera house with my carriage waiting."

Rin nodded and when Kaito had gone out of their sight, she turned toward Miku and smiled broadly. She narrowed her eyes, turning that smile into a sneer, watching Miku blush, "You had better thank me later."

To that, Miku shoved Rin.

* * *

When Rin had entered her room, she found that her room was filled with far more flowers than she recalled. Every flat surface was topped with flowers of all different kinds—roses, both white and red, and forget me nots. Did the cast members put all these here? It was awfully quick considering that they were still below celebrating... She traced her fingers over one of the pedals of the roses and was amazed with how soft it was—it almost seemed each of the flowers all around in her room had hidden feelings of some sort.

Then quickly recalling the time, Rin rushed over to her wardrobe to change into an evening dress that was easier to move around in. Since she had came to live here, she had been given many dresses by some of the other tailoresses who had worked here, who had described her wardrobe as "pitiful for a diva." She decided that for tonight she would wear a white, layered (though not as many layers as her first costume) dress. After dressing and looking at herself in the mirror, she decided something was missing. After thinking for a moment, it dawned on her what it was. Taking a white ribbon, she wrapped it around her hair and tied a bow at the top of her hair. Smiling in satisfaction, she went to look for the perfect shoes...

But something had taken her by surprise.

The light that had illuminated her room suddenly disappeared when the candles surrounding her hushed. Rin looked back and saw the now cold candles with only a thin trail of smoke rising from them. All at once, a twinge of fear tugged at her heart and she turned immediately toward the door. Clutching the doorknob, she attempted to turn it, but it had refused to twist. Observing the doorknob a little closer, she saw that there was no lock on the inside to free herself. What truly frightened her was a strange sense of foreboding—as if someone was watching her from the shadows. She truly froze when a boy's voice carried through the air as a wolf's howl in the night.

"Bravo, bravo, beautiful angel..."

Rin began to tremble and shake, her breaths uneven and shallow. Her heart pounded beneath her chest as chills rushed down her spine. What surprised her the most was that the shaking that plagued her body was that of awe and admiration. There was something in this voice that struck the deepest parts of her soul and strummed the most delicate chords of her heart. Turning and gazing around the room, she replied,

"Who is this that calls me with a voice so admirable?"

"I am the one to complete your soul, and you are the other half to my whole—I am your reflection, and you are my own."

"Rin?" Miku's voice echoed from beyond the door, "Why is the door locked? Is there someone in there with you?"

Rin didn't respond. Something about this boy's words ensnared her entire being and brought her to a completely different reality. When she did not call back to Miku, the knocking on her door became louder and more frantic. But as she listened more and more to the boy's voice, the quieter the frantic calls and the pounding became.

"Where are you?"

"Look at your face in the mirror, I am there inside."

Rin turned her body away from the door and slowly turned her head towards the mirror. As she did, beyond her reflection, came another figure. It was a boy that looked about her age, clothed in a black cloak lined with golden lining and embroidered with introcate details. His hair was a golden blonde similar to hers and his eyes were blue like the swirling twilight just after a sunset. His face was hard and handsome, seemingly delicately carved by angels. At the sight of him, Rin's heart fluttered and she slowly walked toward the mirror where he remained. As she approached, he held out his hand.

"Come and join me in the shadows..."

Rin was before him now, staring at his outstretched, gloved hand. There was a part of her that had told her to turn back and call back to Miku's voice, which was now completely silent to her, but nearly every part of her being screamed at her to accept his hand. Almost unconsciously, Rin reached her delicate fingers and with their tips, touched his palm. And so gently, the boy curled his hand around hers and began to pull her in towards him, and before Rin could realize it, she had entered a world of endless, beautiful night.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Yes, I know Len doesn't have a mask and that he's still very handsome. So why does he seclude himself from the world? You'll find out later. ;D (Definitely not next chapter, but sometime down the road you will.) And yes, I know this is so far parallel to the Phantom of the Opera. But eventually, this will take it's own little gleeful turns. Keep in mind that this is only _based_ on Phantom of the Opera.


	3. The Realm of Night

_**A/N: **_Fortunately, I had enough plot bunnies and some free time to finish another chapter! I hope the story isn't going too fast... because a lot of thick stuff starts pouring in here. On the other hand, I don't want it to drag, either. XD But anyway, I hope you enjoy! I'm not sure when the next chapter will come, but don't be surprised if it doesn't come for a while. So I ask for patience. XD

* * *

_Chapter 3: The Realm of Night_

As Rin grasped the boy's hand, she felt a strange sense of nostalgia. It seemed, at that moment, that she was reuniting with him from a far off memory and that she knew everything about him without knowing anything. Farther and farther, they came in past the mirror and farther and farther they came away from the room. They drifted down a hall with cobwebs at every corner and candle sticks that bent back to mark their path to the realm of shadows. As Rin clutched tighter to his hand, the deeper enchantment seemed to surround her. She looked back behind her at the world where all seemed so stagnant, and then she looked forward to see the back of the boy's head—the heart of this dream world. He glanced back at her again and again to gaze into her wondering eyes and continued to walk forward.

"I beg you to speak to me again..." Rin breathed.

"Does my voice please you?" He sneered, "Wait just a moment—I shall sing for you until the night ends, but we must reach my sacred realm of music first."

They had come to the edge of a lake now with a boat gently rocking back and forth, decorated in elegant Gothic carvings with a single lantern lighting the way at the front. The boy stepped forward and prepared it, making sure everything was in its proper place. He then looked back at her once more and held out his arms, telling her to board the boat without words.

"Please," Rin said once more, "please tell me your name."

"My name?" Asked the boy softly.

He lowered his arms and slowly and gracefully walked towards her. He then raised a hand hesitantly toward her, but it had eventually landed on her shoulder and gently brushed down her arm to her hand, where he slowly entwined his fingers with hers. He brought his face and brushed his cheek against hers until his lips touched her ear. Then in a soft, seductive whisper he replied,

"My name is Len."

Rin breathed out when she heard the name and the blood in her body seemed to come alive at that moment. Len had stepped back away from her, slowly untangling his fingers, but holding out his arms once more to offer a gentleman's assistance for Rin to step into the boat. Now Rin came more freely and as she stepped into the boat, Len set a hand on her back and grasped her hand once more to gently set her down in front of him. Then they once more were drifting, this time across the misty water deeper into Len's enchanted world.

Once they turned the corner, Rin unintentionally let out a gasp. An entire wall was covered with organ pipes, towering far above them to the ceiling. In between and around the pipes were carvings of vines and singing faces. If the entry hall of the opera house was the realm of day, then this was the Gothic realm of night. It rivaled in it's elegant and detailed space and every corner was lit with the light of soft candles.

When they had reached the shore, Len walked passed her and stepped out of the boat. Turning toward her, he grasped the edge of his cloak and lifted it off his shoulders, revealing his petite, yet defined body. He wore a black vest embroidered with similar gold designs, similar to that of his cloak, over a white shirt with frills at the cuffs over his black gloves and around his neck was a black ribbon tied into a bow. The moment he removed his cloak, Rin seemed to have a better image of his face, his expressions, everything. The bangs of his golden hair that was tied back into a short ponytail fell in front of his eyes as he lifted a corner of his mouth to smile. He brought his hand forward and grasping it once more, Rin came up to the shore with him. The two gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before Len led Rin further in toward a long, black grand piano.

"Come away from that cruel, bright, misunderstanding world and listen to the music here."

Len slipped his gloves off his hands and sat at the piano. He set his hands on the ivory keys and looked at Rin who approached his side. Smiling, he turned toward the piano and some scribbled notes on a piece of sheet music.

"When I heard your voice, sweet melodies were inspired from you, and I knew that your voice was the one match my own."

Len's fingers then flew across the piano in the most beautiful melody Rin had ever heard. Bringing both her hands to her chest, tears welled up in her eyes. He then began to sing along with the pressed keys, his voice ringing like a clear bell through the air. Rin clutched her chest now, because it seemed her heart was about to fly out of it. After he finished a certain phrase, Len stopped both playing and singing and looked at Rin and smiled.

"Now sing with me—I know you can do it."

He began to play again, and this time when he began to sing, Len gazed back at Rin. After a moment she joined him in harmony. Their voices mixed together in a brilliant tone of heaven as it echoed throughout the warm darkness. Rin closed her eyes when she felt a fire burning through her chest and smiled. The piano had eventually stopped playing, but Len was still singing with her. Rin felt a warm embrace from behind as Len began wrapping his arms around her. He held one hand over Rin's and together, he brought them up, feeling Rin's slightly trembling body to where he could feel her pounding heart under her own hand. As Rin continued to sing, for a moment, Len whispered into her ear.

"Turn all your thoughts away and close your eyes to that world from before. Allow the warm shadows to embrace you. Let your soul soar with mine and listen to how our voices fly together in the darkness of the night. Know that the dreams here exist—touch me and know that I'm real..."

Rin immediately lifted her hand and touched his cheek, trailing her fingers down to his chin. Now Len joined her once again in song and led her throughout his enchanted lair, holding her hands and gazing upon her. The image of the two of them there, surrounded by the swirling shadows of the night was like gazing into a perfect portrait. And as both of them sensed that the end of their song was coming, they faced each other. The release of their voices were perfect, and an echo lingered into the air a while longer.

Rin stared into Len's eyes intensly, breathing deeply until her eyes rolled back and she collapsed into his arms. Len seemed to know he was expecting it and immediately caught her. Gingerly, he took her up into his arms and brought her to his bed that lay in the corner, covered with satin sheets of black and gold. He gently laid her head on the pillow and bent over her, once again whispering into her ear.

"Only you can make my song take flight... Only with you, can we make the perfect duet..."

Then gently once more, he brushed her cheek with the softness of his lips.

* * *

When Rin next awoke, she found herself laying in her own bed in the familiar space of her room and dressed in her own nightgown. It was as if what happened before was merely a dream. The candles were lit once more, but the vast amount of flowers were still there, assuring that the events of last night were in fact real, banishing the notion of the dream. She sat up and rubbed her head before standing up from her bed. The first thing she did was look into the mirror, expecting to see Len staring back at her, but all she saw was herself this time. Was he some kind of phantom?

Rin then turned toward the door and set her hand on the doorknob expecting it not to turn. However, against her expectations, it gave way and she pushed the door open. She came out into the corridor and found complete silence and brightness from the sunlight that leaked through the windows.

"Rin!"

The sudden break in silence by the shrill voice that echoed down the corridor made Rin jump. She quickly turned to see where it had come from and found Miku running towards her at full speed. When Miku had reached her, she grasped Rin by the shoulders and glanced over her body.

"What happened? Are you hurt? Did anything happen to you?"

"I don't understand why you're so frantic." Rin replied rather calmly.

"Your door was locked all night! When I came to get you to meet Kaito, your door was locked and I heard voices in your room!"

Rin thought for a moment. Should she tell Miku of Len? Should she tell her of how positively haunting and enchanting he was? Should she tell her of the magic of the music that flew between them the night before in that enchanted chamber? Rin had decided against it and quickly came up with an excuse.

"I must have locked my door on accident and fallen asleep suddenly—I was a bit tired from the performance. And I was probably talking in my sleep."

Miku's eyebrows arched together in confusion. But then she decided after a while to trust that Rin was telling the truth and let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Why are you so worried?" Rin asked, no longer being able to hold in her feelings of confusion. It was the same as the time that Miku held an expression of terror when Rin had first told her that she was the new diva.

"It's just..." Miku started, but then quickly stopped before glancing around. She then took Rin by the hand and said, "Follow me—"

They quickly walked down the corridor and went to the lower levels of the opera house and eventually came into the small chapel that Rin had first practiced in. All throughout their travel, Miku did not look back at Rin as if she was concentrating hard on getting there as fast as possible without being noticed. When they had reached their sanctuary, Miku glanced around herself once again before turning to Rin to speak.

"When I thought I heard voices from your room, I thought the Opera Ghost had come to take you away..."

"What?" Rin blurted in surprise. Was she referring to Len?

Miku shook her head to silence Rin, then closed her eyes thinking of a better way to explain her plight, "Have you heard the rumors? Of all our divas mysteriously disappearing?"

"I have... but that was because the rehearsal work was so rough and the performances were so numerous to them that they quit or were kicked out right?"

"That's what the opera house managers and the maestro have been telling the newspapers and the press," Miku's voice became hushed, "but the truth is that they turn up missing and never return... no one knew what happened to them. If they're somewhere out on the streets or completely gone from this world."

"And you think this 'Opera Ghost' is responsible for this?"

"You see... whenever a new diva came in we were all quite proud to have such a brilliant star in our midst... but sometimes, she would make a mistake in her singing. Or she would forget where to move on stage or she would bend a pitch the wrong way. The maestro and the two opera house managers didn't mind because she was able to fix her mistakes... but the Opera Ghost would not have it."

"How do you know—" Rin interrupted rather loudly before Miku shushed her.

"The night of the day she would make a mistake in either a performance or a rehearsal, she would suddenly vanish from her locked room. And the next morning, the door would be unlocked, but there would be a single note on the bed that would read _'Your star could not light the sky of the world of night'_ and we wouldn't see her ever again. So whenever a new diva would come, we would hope and pray that she would be good enough to satisfy this unknown source."

"The world of night..." Rin muttered to herself.

Rin had recalled Len speaking of the night and the shadows quite often when she was embraced by his seductive aura. And she could clearly imagine him scribbling those words in elegant writing on a note. But would he take the divas away to some unknown place? And if it meant that she was the only one to return, was he satisfied with her voice?

"But when you came here and sung for us for that first time, all of us knew that you would be the diva that would satisfy the Opera Ghost—and that he would leave you alone."

Rin's head was swirling. If this was Len, why did he take the other divas away? Did he bring them to his world of unending night like he had done with her? Why was she the only one to return? For a moment, Rin felt a strange tingling in her fingers and in the back of her head. She felt frustrated and betrayed. Was this jealousy? She thought to herself that it was odd that she was feeling such an emotion, but it was completely undeniable that she was jealous that he would even consider bringing anyone else with him, even if he would say that they didn't satisfy them. Had she merely "performed well" for him that she was able to return like this?

"Rin, what's wrong?"

Rin hadn't noticed that she had begun to furrow her eyebrows. Quickly gaining her composure back, she assured Miku that nothing was wrong.

"I'm just a bit tired, that's all..."

* * *

The rehearsal for the next performance was already under way. The opera that they were performing was an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Naturally Rin was to be playing the part of Juliet and Kaito was to be playing the part of Romeo. The first rehearsal was rather stressful to her not only because of the lingering thoughts of Len, but the set builders were still in the process of building the props themselves, and people were running back and forth on stage behind her. It was hard to concentrate on the performance, especially during one of the most romantic duets between Romeo and Juliet in the whole opera.

"We shall begin again." The maestro said, "And both of you should act more as lovers just slightly more—I'm not entirely convinced of your performance quite yet."

Rin pursed her lips together. The last thing she wanted was to pretend to be Kaito's lover. She wanted Len to be by her side, to have the assurance that his sweet embraces and words were not lies—that they were not merely a dream of the night. The orchestra had begun to play the introduction below when she felt an embrace around her. For a moment, Rin thought her wish had come true, for the warmth behind it held the same longing and wanting that Len had possessed. But the moment the voice echoed into the air, she knew she was mistaken—Kaito was the one with his arms around her waist. He was oddly seductive to her, stroking her body in such a way that they really were lovers. And Rin became so distracted that she had almost missed her entrance.

The maestro was now pleased with their performance and was brightly smiling at the intimacy happening before him. But a strange, evil dissatisfaction was hanging in the air that no one knew where it was coming from. Above the stage, Len was looking gravely down below at his Rin in the arms of another man. He would twitch whenever Kaito would bend his head so that he was breathing down Rin's neck, and he would cringe whenever he saw their hands entwine. With a swift, flowing movement, Len began to walk toward the ropes that held the backdrops...


	4. The Opera Ghost

_**A/N: **_Good news! I managed to find free time in between my thick homework pile and school schedule to write this. Partially the reason why chapters are coming "fast" is because I'm getting a lot of plot bunnies. Let's hope they keep hopping around in my mind, but don't be surprised if I suddenly crash with a writer's block. -knocks on wood- Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 4: The Opera Ghost_

Rin felt a certain uneasiness as Kaito stroked her side, yet she could not help her heart pounding beneath her chest. However as Kaito sung with her, she felt empty. It was nothing like her duet with Len, which felt so full, like her heart was being filled up like a glass. She found that not as much heart and soul was in her voice as she sung, and even though Kaito sang passionately to her, there was something strange about the way he sang. It mostly seemed as if it was a lustful desire—a great want. With Len, she could also feel a great desire coming from him, but when they sang together, she felt as though they were one. Kaito made her feel as though she was still a separate being from him. Rin began to feel slightly guilty allowing Kaito to brush her body sensually.

At that moment during their song, Kaito decided that it was time to wander the stage when they reached a certain section in the song. He drifted gracefully backward, still facing Rin and holding his arms out reaching toward her. She attempted to respond appropriately, but the moment he stepped back far enough, a backdrop from above suddenly quickly fell down and crashed on Kaito. The strings from the orchestra pit below shrieked from the sudden crash and collective gasps from all over the stage area sounded in the air. Kaito's face carried a strange sense of fear and confusion as he struggled out from under the backdrop and stumbled to his feet. He looked above him to attempt to spot the culprit, but to no avail—he was already gone.

"Who allowed that to fall?" He demanded.

"It must have slipped! I must have not secured it tight enough!" A backstage worker shrieked from above, rushing to the ropes to pull the backdrop back up, "I beg your forgiveness!"

Kaito heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed his head, stepping toward Rin. He glanced at her for a moment, but then continued on his way.

"I need a rest, maestro."

"O-of c-course." The maestro stumbled all over his words.

Rin could sense all the murmured conversations around her and she immediately knew what everyone was talking about. The rumor that only those who lived in the Vocaloid Opera House knew of—the rumor that they kept only to themselves. The rumor of the Opera Ghost. She spotted Miku off stage and quickly ran toward her, hoping to find some sort of explanation.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know—this is the first time he's ever made a daring move like this..."

Rin looked up towards the catwalk to try to get a glimpse of Len, but she could not find him. She thought to herself how "Opera Ghost" was such an appropriate name for him.

"What about Kaito? Is he all right? I rushed over here once I heard the crash."

"He seemed all right..."

Miku sighed in relief. Rin felt even more guilty that Kaito had been intimate with her, but was relieved that she didn't see him in the act.

* * *

About an hour after the incident was when everyone just barely started to recover and gain their composure. Set builders and stage workers began their tasks again and chorus members and dancers began changing their costumes. Kaito seemed to have regained his composure as he stepped onto the stage with Rin. He had started to draw close to her, and even at one point grasped her hand.

"You're not still scared are you?"

Rin flushed, "No, I'm all right."

She quickly glanced off stage hoping to not see Miku staring at them, hoping that she was off in the dressing rooms changing costumes. Her heart immediately sank when she spotted Miku's face with wide eyes and mouth slightly parted open. Rin quickly drew her hand away from Kaito and held it to her chest, rubbing it as if she had held her hand to a fire. Thankfully, the maestro broke the tension as he raised his baton.

"Let's start from the beginning of the duet, then—"

"This _outrageous_!" An enflamed voice came from the back of the auditorium.

From the back, the two opera house managers came storming in, one holding an envelope above his head and the other following quickly behind. Both were speaking to each other as if they were arguing. When they had reached the stage, the cast and workers had emerged from behind the curtains in nervous curiosity. Once again, the manager holding the envelope raised it above his head and shook it vigorously, a defined frown on his face. The two opera house managers seemed so flustered and furious that neither of them spoke right away, as if still in a complete shock, until someone had shouted from the back,

"What is that letter?"

"It's from..." the manager holding the envelope shook his head as if he could not believe the words about to pass his lips, "the Opera Ghost!"

An erruption of murmurs and gasps emerged in the air and once again, Rin looked up to the catwalk to see if she could spot Len peering down at them. Or perhaps he was in one of the boxes in the house? She still could not find him.

"Well, what does it say?"

"It _says—_" The manager began, opening the letter with shaking hands out of fury and disbelief, "That we must fund an entirely new production, and that if we don't comply to his wishes, that he will 'continue causing us grief.'"

There was a cry of complaint, particularly from the prop and set builders and the tailors and tailoresses.

"_I _personally say we should disregard this pathetic threat." The other opera house manager intervened.

"And what if the things he does are far worse than what happened today?"

"Oh, what could he possibly do? He's only one person—and we're not even entirely sure he exists! This could be some mindless prank from someone trying to show a little humor!"

Even though the opera house manager had convinced some of the listeners and put some relief on them, Rin was not at all in belief of it. She knew for a certainty that the "Opera Ghost" did in fact exist—she knew better than anyone.

"And what about the missing divas? Was that a prank, too?"

Both opera house managers let out cries of frustration, one tangling his hair and the other tearing the paper and envelope before stomping on it.

"Enough of this nonsense! On with the rehearsal!"

And with that, everyone quickly rushed to their places.

* * *

The rehearsals following the falling backdrop incident seemed to be far more rigorous than usual. It was as if the frustrations of the opera house managers and the maestro were being used to push all the cast members at once. Rin found herself exhausted earlier and earlier in the day, but forced herself to keep singing well, in fear that Len would not accept her. She would continually glance up at the catwalk to see if she could see him there peering down at her, but she could never find him. However when Kaito would approach her, she would always feel a heavy sense of dissatisfaction from afar—a feeling of complete anger and almost blood lust. When it became too overpowering, Rin would force herself away.

It was several days before the performance now and they were being pushed as hard as ever. Rin was reasonably upset and full of fatigue. At that moment, she did not wish to step out onto the stage so that she would not deal with the stress that would come with it. It was one motion after another, one task following the other, and it seemed long, endless hours prevailed in the day. She attempted to remind herself why she was there and of her dream that she had promised she would accomplish for her father. However, surprisingly to her, part of her fatigue was her wanting to see Len and hear his voice once more. She felt that if she were to hear it again, it would rejuvenate her even if he had used his voice to seduce the other divas. In desperate need to talk to someone—at that moment, Rin decided to sought after Miku.

When she had found her friend in the dressing room, applying the last bit of her make-up, she had put on a weak smile and approached her. Usually, at Rin's presence, Miku would turn around and smile brightly at her, but this time, she remained facing toward the mirror, her expression growing more grave. Rin immediately noticed this and slowed her approach to a more hesitant walk.

"Miku...?"

Miku lowered her head.

"Miku, what's wrong?"

A heavy sigh escaped her lips and she froze for a moment before standing up from her seat. She turned and slowly faced Rin with a serious expression. Rin could immediately tell what was on her mind—she could see her glassy eyes, and read the sighs that passed her lips—it was the look of one longing for someone.

"Is it true?" Miku quietly mumbled.

"What is?"

"That you and Kaito are... lovers...?" She said the last word so quietly that it was almost inaudible.

Rin was quite taken aback when she heard this, "What?"

"There are rumors flying all around the theater... that you and Kaito are lovers."

"No! That's not true!"

"But what of the way he holds you during those duets? What about the way he looks at you when you pass him? What about the way—"

Rin could not take much more than that, "Miku, he's only acting and getting into his part. I assure you we haven't exchanged any sort of vows that would proclaim us as lovers." Strangely enough, Len was on her mind at that moment rather than Kaito.

Miku looked slightly more relieved—a small smile spread across her face, "Just don't change and drift from me, all right?"

Rin chuckled, "Why would I do that? We are friends, after all. And if you have feelings for Kaito—"

Rin was suddenly interrupted by an incredibly distraught cry that came through the dressing room. Catching both of their attention, Rin and Miku looked to find one of the tailoresses tearing through a pile of costumes and moving from place to place vigorously searching for something.

"What's wrong?"

"Over half of the ballerina's costumes have gone missing! We cannot find them anywhere!"

Suddenly there was a distant voice that came from the theater, "Everyone, get out here _now_."

Miku and Rin ran with the gathering crowd onto the stage where the two opera house managers stood, both with dark circles under their eyes and pale complexions. They folded their arms and their shoulders were tense as if a vicious chill had overcome them. Scanning the crowd and seeing that everyone was there, one began to speak.

"It would seem... that costumes have gradually been disappearing."

It seemed that many of the chorus members were aware of this already and began shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Now, whomever is behind this... must be here in the theater. If you are here among us—know that once we find you, you will be immediately terminated from your position if the costumes do not return to us by the time the performance comes. And hopefully, this will be the end of it."

It quite wasn't.

In the next few days, more costumes had gone missing and even some of the set pieces and props had gone missing. At this point, everyone was absolutely furious which had made the rehearsals even more exhausting. Rin was at her limit, and even though she had a hesitant Miku to talk to, it wasn't quite enough to relax her.

At the end of a long day, she had almost crawled back to her room filled with the flowers that she had not bothered to take and throw out even though they were long dead. Closing the door behind her, Rin leaned back against it and heaved a heavy sigh before looking forward to the mirror at the other end of the room. She stood there a moment before deciding to change into her nightgown—a long flowing white dress with a wrap covering her shoulders, lined with lace and silk. As she came from behind the changing screen, she brushed her fingers against one of the dead roses and flinched at its roughness. Once again she had turned toward the mirror, but this time, she approached it, hoping in the back of her mind that if she would get closer, somehow Len would be there staring at her. She touched her hand to the glass, however, and found that she brushed the hand of her own reflection.

Gazing into her own face, she saw an expression of dissatisfaction. Was that night the end of it? Was the dream to only last for that moment? How she had longed to return to that enchanted world. After waiting, still hoping that Len would somehow respond to her, Rin had approached the candles and hushed them away with a gentle breath. She collapsed on her bed, and even though she was perfectly exhausted, she could not bring herself to sleep. For a moment, Rin lay there in complete silence and stillness. The dim blue moonlight drifted through the thin windows and fell onto her skin. Even though sleep was not about to overtake her, Rin closed her eyes and listened to the wind that whistled outside, trying to find a melody in it.

Gradually, she began to hear one.

It was such a lovely melody—and somehow familiar. Then she remembered... it was the song Len had written—the song that they had sung together. Deep breaths passed from her body, she could almost hear his voice echoing behind the wind. However, gradually it grew stronger and stronger until it seemed as if the singing was right there next to her. Rin slowly opened her eyes at that moment, and even though the singing had stopped and could no longer hear the voice, she could see a figure staring at her from the shadows.

The figure had at last stepped forward into the moonlight, illuminating his face, bathing it in enchanted light—it was unmistakably Len. Rin immediately shot up from her bed at his presence, but before she could say his name, Len had put a finger to his lips and slowly approached her and kneeling at her bedside. For a while, not a word was spoken between them—only Rin's deep breathing sounded in the air until she had at last decided to speak words that had been swirling around in her mind.

"So... you are the Opera Ghost."

Len smiled at the name, "Apparently I am."

"Then are the rumors true?" Rin quickly added, desparate to ask the question so that she could hear an answer, "That you had kidnapped the previous divas before me?"

"Yes, that is true." He calmly said.

"Then..." Rin bit her lip, "Did you sing with them like you did with me?"

Len's eyebrows furrowed together in deep confusion and with a hint of disgust, "There was no possible way that I would sing with them—they were too horrible."

"Then what did you do with them?"

"I escorted them out of the opera house." He said rather simply.

Rin clutched her bedsheets, processing his words. Had she worried for nothing? Why was she so jealous? Yet somehow she knew the answer to that when Len stood up and leaned forward towards her, taking her face in his hands. Her heart began to pound rapidly as she could feel his breath brushing against her skin and his nose nuzzling against hers.

"Your voice is the only one that I have ever wanted." He whispered, drawing in closer to her.

The air between them slowly grew thinner and thinner until their lips gradually touched. Rin could feel the fire burning in her chest now as his hands brushed the sides of her neck until the fell onto the tops of her shoulders. The feeling against his lips against hers was as hypnotic as his singing. Slowly she lifted her hands to touch him, but he had pulled away. Slightly disappointed, Rin gazed into his eyes captured by the moonlight as he spoke to her.

"Will you do something for me?"

"What is it?"

"Please tell the opera house managers to change production..."

"Then was that you taking the costumes and set pieces and props?"

Len smiled, "Yes."

"Then it was you who set the backdrop on Kaito?"

Len seemed to grimace at the name, "I absolutely cannot stand seeing you in his arms. His voice is far too dull to even compare to yours. He basks in your glory while remaining a lowly rat."

Rin stared at his expression for a moment. She didn't exactly approve of him attacking Kaito in such a way, but she could see the same expression in his eyes that she had seen in herself whenever she had gazed into a mirror. He looked at her almost pleadingly, and finally submitting, she said,

"I will try to convince the managers."

Len breathed a sigh of relief and lifted himself away from her and began walking away from her bedside, but he found himself caught. Looking behind him, he found Rin clutching onto the back of his cloak and looking up at him with longing eyes, her face catching the moonlight perfectly.

"If I do that—will you stay with me for a little while longer here?"

To that immediately Len turned around and leaned toward her once more, "Of course." He whispered.

Rin wrapped her arms around him to draw him closer to her—and he willingly came. Len again lifted his hands to her cheeks and once more they leaned in for a kiss.


	5. Crimson

_**A/N: **_Yet another chapter up! I hope I can finish this story before I become too busy... things in school are about to get thicker. And speaking of thicker, the plot in this story is about to get thicker. You'll have to read to find out what I mean. ;) Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 5: Crimson_

Rin opened her eyes, emerging from a deep unconsciousness to the little bit of sunlight that siddled it's way through the small window. As she woke, Rin felt her blood flowing freely throughout her body and hear heart beating steadily. All the fatigue and aching in her body had been stilled. For a moment, Rin did not move from her bed—she simply stared at the ceiling. Even though her body did not move, her mind had already wandered miles. The moment she had awakened, her thoughts had turned toward the lips that she had tasted the night before. She remembered the blue eyes that surveyed her, the golden hair that brushed against her skin, and the touch that made her tremble in awe. Her belief that hearing Len sing would rejuvenate her had turned out to be true. She felt a new energy coursing through her.

She rose from her bed in a daze, seemingly staring into nothing. She turned and looked at the mirror once more, still dreaming that Len would walk through it and touch her with his loving lips once more. Rin had not realized how long she had stood in a daydream in her room, for a steady knock came at her door.

"Rin? Are you awake?"

Shaking her head back to reality, Rin turned away from the mirror.

"Miku?" She said rubbing her eyes. She realized how groggy she was.

Miku opened the door, dressed in full costume. When she saw Rin still in her nightgown, she gasped.

"Rin! You do know that rehearsal starts in ten minutes, right?"

Those words took a little bit more time than usual to fully register in Rin's mind. When they all fell into place, however, she jumped in shock and frantically put on some slippers and rushed past Miku to the dressing rooms. As Rin flew through the opera house, she received many absurd glances, both of shock and disappointment. Rin quickly slipped into her costume for the first act on her. She had almost fixed her make-up and hair by herself as well, but her assistants had made it in on time. When they had finished their hasteful work, Rin quickly ran out of her dressing room and stumbled on stage.

"Oh, just in time, my dear." The maestro before her said in a tone painted with sarcasm, "We were just about to start."

Rin flushed and was still attempting to compose herself when the orchestra began to play the accompaniment. Her first few steps on the stage were stumbles, but slowly Rin regained her composure. When Kaito began to sing, she could most definitely tell that he was singing with all his heart towards her, conveying, to what seemed to her, empty emotions to her resistant heart. When Rin's entrance approached, she had felt a feeling that she was very unfamiliar with—dissatisfaction.

Even though Rin was singing with possibly the best vocalists in the country, and even though she was in a position many girls have dreamed of getting, she found that she was not as excited as she was before. It was as if there was a newly discovered hole in her chest that she could not fill as she rehearsed. The only way she could fill it, she found, was when she sung with Len. Otherwise, as she sang her duet with Kaito, Rin felt as if she was performing with nothing more than dolls. As Kaito approached her to act as her lover, Rin no longer became ruffled or flushed. In fact, hardly any feeling came from her. When Len was apart from her, Rin felt as if her soul was asleep—and the only way to wake it was to drift into the world of night. As Kaito stroked her hands, she remembered Len's plea of changing production, and throughout the rest of the song until the next break, that's all that was on her mind.

When the break had come, Rin pushed her way through the bustling crowd of cast members, finding her way to the opera house managers' office. Everyone was still running around, frantically looking for missing props and costumes that kept disappearing. The artisans who worked worked quickly with the date of the performance looming in their mind. Unlike before, the stress of her surroundings did not affect Rin as much—the lingering memory of Len's voice had helped her keep her composure. When she had reached the office, she found the two managers fumbling and sifting through papers, occasionally tossling their hair. At the sound of the door squeaking open, both of them looked up in surprise, as if a tax collector had come to take all the profits. At the sight of Rin's face, they both slouched back in relief, but still had an air of tension about them.

"Is there something you need?"

"I was just thinking about the letter the Opera Ghost sent..."

The sound of a hand slamming on a desk snapped the remaining silence in the air as both of the managers said at once, "And _what of it_?"

Rin was still clutching her hands together at her chest from the sudden sound before she softly spoke, "Well, maybe perhaps... we should change production. If it would stop the costumes, props, and set pieces from getting stolen."

"So you're suggesting we give in to this prankster's demands?"

"If it would stop—"

The other opera house manager stood up, "That's exactly what he wants! That's what all these devils who play jokes want! They want their demands met so that they can laugh to themselves in the shadows while watching others pressed down under their thumbs! We will not have this!"

Rin imagined Len's face at that moment and along with it, she remembered his wording of bringing "more grief" in his note. She was almost certain that he didn't forever want to merely steal Romeo's props or Juliet's costumes from act three. A boy whose eyes carried much deeper meaning seemed to have much more ambition than that.

"What if he goes beyond what he's doing now, though?" Rin feared what Len would do and was genuinely concerned for the well-being for the people of the opera house at that moment.

"What could he possibly be capable of? For all we know, he probably can't even spell 'opera.'"

Rin flinched, wondering if Len was watching them now and if he had heard that. Her concern for the managers grew slightly more.

"Now get back to rehearsal, I'm sure break will be ending soon."

Without another word, Rin left the office which slowly began to fill with the sound of shifting papers again along with grumbles and murmurs. Closing the door behind her, Rin looked around herself to see if Len were there staring, but she quickly realized that even if he were there, he'd be concealed to the point where not even she could see him.

And he was indeed looking... and listening.

From a place where Len was perfectly concealed and able to hear and see everything that happened in the managers' office, he smirked to himself. A soft chuckle passed his lips as he peeked down at the managers rustling through papers and running around their office frantically.

"You will regret not listening to my Rin..." He murmured, then brushed his fingers through his hair, "And I can't even spell 'opera', hm?"

* * *

That night when Rin found herself opening the door to her room after another long day, she found something had changed. All the dead flowers that she had kept to remind herself of Len all had vanished. However, Rin was hardly distraught, for every surface had been covered with new flowers. This time beautiful yellow roses and white lilies adorned her room. Smiling to herself, Rin slipped behind her screen and changed into her nightgown quickly, so that she could catch another glimpse at the flowers that surrounded her. She turned toward the mirror and smiled, as if she knew she was looking into Len's eyes. Slowly she approached it and gazing up toward it, she whispered,

"Len..."

She now found herself looking into a different pair of blue eyes and a smile other than her own.

"What is it?"

Rin knew immediately what she wanted... she wanted to fill the emptiness that had been crying out to her, "May I sing with you again?"

Len's smile broadened as he held out a hand toward her, "Yes..."

Rin stepped through the mirror into the realm of night and added, "And thank you for the flowers..."

Every night, Rin found herself approaching the mirror and asking to sing with Len. And every night, he would lead Rin to his throne of music, and play a new song that he had written for her. The would sing with each other until Rin grew fatigued. Len would then warm her with his sweet kisses and she would drift to a peaceful sleep. And when Rin woke in the morning, she found herself more and more in a foreign world as she rehearsed in the opera house.

As she suspected, more of the props and costumes were missing, but she feared something more would happen as the night of the performance drew nearer. The day before the performance, all the tailors, tailoresses, prop makers, and stage workers spent a restless night completing all their work, replacing all that which had been stolen. To Rin's surprise, none of the newly made pieces had been stolen the day of the performance.

The audience beyond the curtain was completely unaware of the opera house's drama from the past few weeks and was completely unsuspecting. And even though everyone around Rin was relieved that they had made it in time for the performance, Rin couldn't help but feel suspicious and worried about what was to happen. She was hoping that Len wouldn't make any backdrops fall, or crash anything else down onto the stage during the performance.

The curtains finally opened and the audience moved into an applause. The orchestra began to play and Rin began to make the counts to her entrance. When it was her time to come out onto the stage, naturally she had the whole audience mesmerized once again. Rin, however, found herself less enthusiastic. She was living her and her father's dream, but she knew it was not enough. Then Kaito's entrance came, and he had followed her on stage, singing as passionately as he had in rehearsal—if not, it was more passionate. Rin tried her best not to grimace, because she could feel Len watching from a short distance.

To her surprise, however, they had gotten through their first duet without any interruptions. There were no backdrops that had fallen or anything that happened out of the ordinary. For a moment, she wondered if Len would even dare interrupt a performance since he was such an enthusiast when it came to perfection. She had expected something to occur whenever Kaito came out onto the stage, but against her expectations, nothing happened. The stage-workers moved the props back and forth from off stage to on stage with ease and all the cast members had their costumes prepared. Had Len decided to deal with his dissatisfaction now that the performance had come?

The climatic moment of Rin and Kaito's duet finally came—the audience was at full attention and all the cast members fully into their parts. Even Rin had turned her mind a little more to the performance. It was just before the orchestra was to begin playing and Rin and Kaito were exchanging lines of spoken dialogue with each other and the stage workers moved set pieces on and off stage. The orchestra had finally begun to play when suddenly everything was interrupted by a loud, shrill scream. The violins squeaked to a stop and murmurs erupted in the audience. Rin and Kaito were immediately drawn away from their act and both their eyes turned toward back stage to the turned around set piece that had suddenly stopped moving.

A horrible chill traveled up through Rin's spine when she saw the sight. A deep terror ripped at her heart and her knees suddenly gave out. She couldn't fully register what she saw before her, but all that she was able to register was a vast amount of crimson splattered everywhere, and the word, "opera" etched onto a chest. The screams around her suddenly faded into nothing when she fell to the ground.

* * *

_"Father?"_

_Fifteen years-old, Rin had just returned from spending the day with Miku and had just arrived at her home. When she had knocked, no one had come for her, even though she knew her father was indeed home. She had turned the handle and pushed the door inward, finding that it was unlocked. The candles were out and even a window was open. Immediately, when she had stepped in, Rin could feel that there was something wrong in the air that surrounded her._

_"Father, are you home?"_

_Had he forgotten to lock the door and shut the window? It was odd for him to do so. Rin went and fetched a candle and a match. Lighting it, she made her way further into the house. Her home had never felt so distant to her before. The lingering, familiar scent of it had seemingly gone away. She went further in._

_Then turning into the living room, where he usually taught lessons, was where she found him._

_Twisted and mangled into a strange, grotesque position he sat in a chair. Blood had been spilled nearly all over the room as if it was purposely painted and in the center of it all, her father remained. Trembling, Rin thought she was seeing an illusion, but as she moved in front of her father, the chills that attacked her assured her that she saw reality. The face that now gazed her was gaped open and caked with blood and a knife protruded from his chest. Dropping the candle, a terrible scream ripped from Rin's lungs..._

Rin gasped as her eyes shot open, taking in air like she had not breathed in years. Over her came the faces of Miku and Kaito, staring down at her with deep concern and subtle surprise to Rin's sudden reaction. Rin breathed heavily, still halfway in her dreams. Miku placed a hand on her forehead.

"Rin! Rin, it's all right..." Her voice gradually grew softer, attempting to soothe her.

Rin's breathing gradually slowed and she closed her eyes, realizing that she was far from that place. Now she was in her bed, dressed in her nightgown and illuminated by the candles that hushed away the darkness and the moonlight.

"What happened?" She murmured.

"You fainted after..." Kaito began, but hesitated to continue.

"There was a body on stage—a murder." Miku attempted to suppress the trembling in her voice.

"Who did it?" The moment Rin spoke those words, her mind kept screaming "Len." She didn't want to believe it.

"We don't know..." Kaito added, "We're not sure of anything at this point."

Rin wanted to be less sure of things at that point. Len's face kept running through her mind, yet she kept telling herself that perhaps a murderer had broken in and done this... someone that was not Len. Even though Rin had escaped from the depths of unconsciousness, she was very exhausted from the thoughts that plagued her mind.

"Miku, Kaito... please, I need rest..."

Hesitantly Miku sat up from Rin's bed side and walked toward the door. Kaito followed and when he had left, Rin felt something brush away from her hand—had Kaito been holding it? She flinched at how Len would react. Once she heard the door gently click, her eyes rolled back and she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

It had taken a full day for Rin to fully recover and regain her composure from the shock. Due to the traumatic event, even rehearsals were put off for a week, but music had been handed out to all the chorus members. Trying to get her mind off of things, Rin decided to go to the chapel down below to go practice. She was thinking of many things—everything but the bloody body that she barely registered a few days before. All her attempts were in vain, however, when she passed by two chorus members talking with each other.

"There was something familiar about that body..."

Rin couldn't help but stop and listen from a short distance.

"The way it was positioned in that odd pose...and did you see the way the blood was splattered? It was almost as if it was _painted_."

A familiar chill came over Rin.

"Yes," the other chorus member said, "It was exactly like the string of killings that happened three years ago... to all those famous musicians."

"They didn't catch the killer back then did they?"

"No—apparently they almost did, but he apparently escaped and went into hiding. He hadn't surfaced since then. Well that is... until now, perhaps—"

Rin couldn't bear to listen to the conversation further, her breathing sped up to a state of hyperventilation. She sped down the corridors, tears welling up in her eyes. She clutched the score she held tighter to her chest and when she had made it to the chapel, she collapsed in front of the alter, the sheet music crashing to the ground. She wrapped her arms around her head and wept. How could all this be? Rin's mind burst along with her heart as she swelled with every emotion possible. Len was the man she loved—then why...?

That night, Rin approached the mirror just as hesitantly as she had the first time she had seen Len. If not, she was more hesitant. For a moment, she stood silent. Then she decided she could not wait for Len this time. Touching the glass, she slid the mirror open and stepped through it, walking into her world of dreams. The pathway seemed much colder and more lonely now without Len guiding her hand, even though she knew the way. Down and down she traveled until she had reached the lake where Len had just come with the boat. He eyed Rin with a bit of confusion when he saw her walking the corner.

"You couldn't wait for me?"

Rin said nothing—she only accepted his outstretched hand and sat into the boat that Len held the oar to. She did not say a word to him as Len rowed to the shore of his lair. And when they had reached their destination, as he helped Rin up with him, he said,

"Why are you so silent?"

"Len..." Rin's voice was trembling, "Did you kill that man from the other day?"

Len froze at that moment. Rin couldn't bear to look at his face—his eyes which she knew would hold the truth before he could speak any words. The sound of his voice had never pierced the silence so fiercely before.

"Yes."

"And the previous divas..." Rin continued, "They didn't just disappear did they?"

"I escorted them away... to the afterlife, that is."

Rin clutched her hands tighter to her chest. The sound of his whisper had frightened her for the first time. She nearly couldn't bring herself to say what she wanted to say next.

"And... did you murder a vocalist named Kagamine?"

The silence that followed was enough to smother Rin—it seemed to push on her from all sides. She could feel Len slowly bring his face close to hers, lean his forehead up against her as he murmured,

"Yes..."


	6. Entwined

_**A/N: **_This was a chapter I was anxious to write. This one is a bit shorter than the others, but I really wanted it to end at a certain point. However, I tried to put in enough content to have you readers thinking and anxious for the next chapter to come out. Which I'm not sure when that will happen... Hopefully sooner than later.

* * *

_Chapter 6: Entwined_

_"No, that's not right!"_

_Len's teacher, Mr. Kagamine, had slapped him on the wrist when he had sung slightly flat on the last note of the piece they were studying. Len flinched at the sudden sting, drawing back his hand and rubbing it gingerly. He glanced over to his teacher's stern eyes, the eyes that Len so admired._

_"You can't allow that to happen—you must achieve absolute perfection in everything in music. Don't even allow the slightest bend to a note, and don't accept those that do allow that to happen. Try it again from the beginning."_

_Len rubbing his hand one last time glanced over at Mr. Kagamine for a moment, then returned to the music and nodded. He thought more carefully of how to sing it now, how to prevent all his mistakes, how to be absolutely flawless..._

_Over the course of the next few months, Len kept eagerly returning to Mr. Kagamine. And in each lesson, he would be lectured on how he hadn't sung the music well enough. Len would return home and practice constantly for hours and hours, sometimes forgetting to even eat his meals. Then one lesson, Len noticed something. When singing, his teacher had made a flaw, it was subtle, but it was most definitely there. Len noticed these mistakes more and more as the days passed, and so, eventually..._

_

* * *

_

Rin clenched her fists at her sides. For a brief moment, she wished she was merely dreaming, that the darkness of the night still held her fast, but reality said otherwise. She could feel Len's breath against her—his touch. She could feel the way her heart pounded whenever he spoke. She could feel his undeniable presence before her. Everything assured her that all was real—that when Len spoke, he spoke the truth. Tears welled up in Rin's eyes and she parted her mouth and inhaled sharply. Her deep breaths escaped in wails as she brought her hands to her face and knelt on the ground, not finding the strength to stand anymore. She could feel Len bend with her... and then a soft touch on her shoulder.

"Rin..."

"Don't touch me!" Rin sharply slapped his hand away, then buried her face in between her knees, "How could you do that? Why did you kill all those people? Why did you kill my father?"

Len hesitated for a moment, listening to her cries pierce the sound that came into his ears.

"It is because he wanted perfection."

Len heard Rin stop her sobbing for a moment—it had reduced to sniffles now. She still crouched over her knees, like a flower returning to its bud and hiding its beauty. Slowly Len leaned over her and brought his face close to her cheek, whispering as gently as he could.

"Yes, your father was my teacher. And he always taught me to always strive for perfection—absolute flawlessness. He told me never to settle for less. There was something about his words... there was something within his voice that enchanted me—that allowed my soul to delve further into the depths of music."

Len reached to tuck a lock of Rin's hair behind her ear. At his touch, she tensed, and when Len had felt her shiver, he drew his hand away.

"Before I knew it, I had completely engulfed myself into this beautiful world... the world your father showed me. But one day, I realized that I had surpassed him in skill—he made more errors than I... he wasn't perfect like I was. And so, for the sake of the world he showed me, I killed him and made his body a part of the place that he envisioned. But I wanted more—I wanted to delve deeper into this world of music, and so I tried searching for more teachers... but none of them could match up to my vision, so I simply killed them."

There was something in Len's voice that caused Rin to look up at him. He stared straight back at her with the eyes of a murderer, but also that of an honest man. Yet, she could see something else lingering behind those blue irises—a deep longing and lonliness wanting to be cured—a hole longing to be filled. Seeing Rin's gaze, Len slowly brought his hands to her cheeks.

"But you see—it's awfully lonely in this world by myself, and that's why..." He leaned his forehead against hers once more, still holding her face in his hands, "...that's why I need someone like you to be the second voice. I need you to sing with me."

Rin closed her eyes for a moment, as if in deep contemplation. Merely thinking of it wasn't enough however, for she stood up and began pacing around, all her thoughts attacking her at once. She moved from place to place in Len's abode as he remained crouching on the floor, his eyes following her. Rin looked toward the lake out beyond to the pipe organ and then to the music sheets scattered across the floor. After pausing for a moment, Rin made her way to Len's bed and sat herself down, covering her face with her hands. Len was the one who murdered her father... but Len was the man she truly loved.

As she kept her sight averted from everything around her, she could hear Len rise from his spot and move around. She heard several rustlings of paper and some sorting of objects before she heard his footsteps approaching. There was a shifting in front of her, and then suddenly warm hands were set on her lap. Rin lowered the tips of her fingers so that she uncovered her eyes to see Len kneeling down looking up towards her.

"When I fell in love with your voice, I fell in love with you, also. Only your voice can resonate in this chest of mine. We cannot return now that our souls are so entwined, so please..." Len reached for Rin's hands and held them in between his, rubbing her fingers gently with his thumb, "Lead me away from my loneliness. Let me hear you say that you'll have me stand by you wherever you go. This is all I'm asking of you... please sing with me now and always."

Len gently turned over Rin's hands so that her palms faced upwards and slowly he slipped something into them. Rin suddenly felt something hard and cold, and as Len moved his hands underneath hers, she saw a gleam in the corner of her eye. Looking down from his gaze, Rin saw a small ring sitting in the cup that the palms of her hands formed. Instantly, she was breathless and tears filled her eyes. The thought had crossed her mind to pick the ring up in between her finger and thumb and return it to Len. However, rather than doing that, she found herself slipping it onto her finger—after all, Len was the man she loved... she could not refuse him. His voice carried a peculiar, sweet sound that never failed to make her heart fly. After Rin had moved the ring to her finger, a smile crept over Len's face and he moved toward her and wrapped his arms around her. His lips moved from the bottom of Rin's neck to her own lips.

At first Rin drew back, but something in her body pushed her forward towards him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as Len pushed her back so that her head lay against the pillow. Len kissed her again and again and again, moving his body against hers. Both parted for air, looking at each other dazed and enchanted, everything hot in between them. Len, with both his hands now on either side of Rin, bent over her once more to return to his kisses. Rin gladly accepted now, moving her hands along up his back to his head where she tangled her fingers in his hair. Len moved his hands along Rin's body until they had reached her shoulders, where the wrap of her nightgown had begun to slip.

* * *

Rin glanced in the mirror, fixing herself to prepare for the rehearsal that was about to start. She adjusted her hair and dress, making sure that she looked presentable. Before she turned away from the mirror, she touched the small ring haning from a chain around her neck. As her finger stroked the metal band a small smile came across her lips. In Rin's mind, she honestly had no desire to go to rehearsal—it all seemed so dull now.

"Rin, are you there?" Miku's voice came from beyond the door.

"Yes, come in."

The door opened as Rin turned to find her childhood friend walking into her room. Miku glanced at all the flowers around her, parting her mouth a little before facing Rin again. Rin stared into Miku's eyes that seemed to be from a foreign land. An unfamiliar awkwardness had grown between them, as if the air was more tense than before.

"Are you ready for rehearsal?"

"Yes." Rin replied

As Rin walked to her side, Miku noticed the indifference painted over Rin's voice. Miku opened her mouth to speak, but then decided not to say anything. Then without a word between them, the two made their way to rehearsal.

* * *

No costumes had been stolen, no props had been misplaced and no bodies had been found mangled. Perhaps it had something to do with the opera production being something other than Romeo and Juliet, therefore keeping more distance between Rin and Kaito, but stress had been reduced. Kaito still seemed to be approaching Rin, and she would feel a murderous glance whenever he had, but Len had made no action. The Opera Ghost had made no daring moves, and the opera house managers and the maestro gradually returned to ease. Eventually, three months had passed and the year's end had finally come, so the scent of celebration had filled the air.

When the night of the first day of the new year had fallen, brilliant candlelight filled the already grand entrance hall. It's already elaborate ambiance appeared more elegant as the cast members dressed in enchanting attire moved across the marble floor. There was a certain sense of relief in the air, particularly from the two opera house managers off drinking champagne with a woman in each arm. They went on about how cowardly the "so-called opera ghost" was—only making one murder and running off when they had summoned the police out onto the streets to look for him. And Len's lack of action led everyone to believe that the rumor of the Opera Ghost had finally settled. Of course—one person knew better.

Rin stepped forward alone onto what was now the ballroom floor, dressed in a gown of gold and black that touched the floor, layered and adorned with beads ad jewels. The corset she wore accented her slender waist Black lace lined her bust and the edges of her sleeves, and to compliment it, a black barrette in the shape of a rose was placed in her hair. On her face was a black mask lined with clear, glimmering jewels and gold paint. Everyone around her was dressed similarly, all gowns, suits, and masks seeming to change color in every direction.

Off in the distance, Rin could see Miku dancing with Kaito. She wore her hair up in a knot of braids and her dress was painted the colors of silver and green. Her eyes behind her emerald mask seemed to be in a daze as she looked at Kaito, who was dressed in a blue coat over a silver vest with a rapier strapped to his waist. Rin smiled to herself at the sight, but suddenly frowned when Kaito had glanced in her direction. Saying something to Miku and letting go of her hand, he began to make his way across the marble floor towards Rin. Behind Kaito, Rin could see Miku with her lips parted and and eyes that reflected a struck heart. When she followed Kaito's path and spotted Rin, her eyes narrowed and she whirled her head around and turned away. Rin grimmaced.

"Good evening." Kaito said as he finally reached Rin's side.

"Good evening." Rin replied, her expression blank.

They could hear the orchestra, that the maestro conducted, had suddenly began a waltz, and the couples across the dance floor changed their pace. Kaito lifted his head in the air, as if that would allow him to better sense the music, before he extended a hand to Rin and smiled.

"May I have this dance?"

Rin hesitantly reached her hand out. Once the tips of her fingers touched his palm, Kaito immediately pulled her in close to him and began leading her. Rin dared not look directly into Kaito's eyes, which undoubtedly had stars flying in them. She peered down her chest, seeing Len's ring dangling there, catching any light that shone on it.

"Why do you look away from me?"

Rin was forced to look at Kaito now. She quickly thought up an excuse, "It's because I don't want to trip over my feet."

Kaito chuckled bringing Rin closer to him, moving his mouth to her ear, "You don't need to worry—I'll make sure you won't stumble one step."

His whisper was painted with seduction, a smooth and low tone that would make the heart of any girl flutter. He flashed his pearly whites at Rin when he could see that she was not appearing as dazed as he had hoped. To satisfy him and hope that he would not make any further advancing, Rin smiled sheepishly. To her disappointment, that only seemed to intensify it all. Kaito at first rubbed his fingers against Rin's side, but then it eventually grew to his whole hand. He had brought her so close to him now that their chests touched. Rin now attempted to slightly struggle, trying to free herself from Kaito's grasp, but the more she moved, the tighter Kaito held her.

Off in the distance, in the corner of her eye, she could see a single figure standing at the top of the curving steps. Then suddenly, she felt a familiar murderous glance that gradually intensified until the candles in the room had suddenly been hushed. The music had grown silent and all who danced on the floor stopped—everything was frozen in the sudden darkness. All gazes suddenly shifted toward the frightening figure that stood—a boy with blonde hair tied back into a short pony tail and eyes as blue as a storm over the sea behind a white, bone-like mask. He wore a golden vest with a black, frilled collar at his neck. Over his vest, he wore a long black coat with gold lining with an upright collar that accented his menacing presence. Rin was the only one who smiled.

Len took several steps forward, slowly, the click of his boots piercing the silence in the hall. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he glanced around at all the terrified glances looking at him and said,

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen—I am the Opera Ghost."

* * *

_**A/N: **_If you haven't noticed already, part of the inspiration for Rin and Len's costumes were from Servant of Evil and Daughter of Evil-I reeeally like imagining the costumes. X3 Believe it or not, this fan fiction is almost over. And I intend to put in one more twist... I hope you guys look forward to it. :)


	7. The Demands

_**A/N: **_I'm trying to finish this before I get too busy. I've been managing to find some free time to write this. Fortunately, I've been having enough plot bunnies to get through this successfully. But at the same time I don't want to rush it-it's such a finicky balance to find. I'm getting really excited writing this now, by the way-some crazy stuff is coming up. :D

* * *

_Chapter 7: The Demands_

Len once again scanned the entrance hall as all eyes peered up toward him in fright. Only when he had announced himself as the Opera Ghost did whispers start to sound—silent, hushed murmurs. Of course, no matter how quiet anyone whispered, Len was able to pick out what the most popular subject of talk was. Of course they would be about the truthfulness of the rumors of the Opera Ghost, or even how some people were still in disbelief but had begun to question themselves. Len's lips curled back, revealing his teeth as he walked forward closer to the crowd that shrunk back.

"Now what's the matter with all of you? Did you think that incident back then was the last of my deeds? No, it was merely the beginning..."

Len reached into his coat and pulled out what seemed to be a large black book carrying many pieces of sheet music. Glancing at it and sneering, he made his way over to the podium where the maestro stood, the sound of his boots clicking in the hall. Moving like a phantom, the way he walked was with such grace that it seemed he was making a performance of his own as eyes trailed behind him. He approached the shivering maestro and turned toward the crowd once more, holding up the notebook.

"I've brought you a gift—an opera written by yours truly." He snickered, laughing at his own wording. He then shoved it into the arms of the terrified maestro. Then turning the other direction, he made his way back to the crowd, "I call it, 'The Riddler Who Can't Solve Riddles.'"

He had spotted the two opera house managers, both with tilted glasses and champagne spilt on the floor. Their already agape mouths dropped even further when Len approached the both of them. Then poking the both of them very briskly in the chest, he said,

"I advise you that you obey and put a production on of this as well as take to heart the advice I'm about to give you."

Len began to slowly pace around, pushing his way through the crowd, fiddling his fingers as an artist discussing how he wanted his work to be performed, "I am aware of some tone-deaf chorus members... I suggest you sack them. And maestro," Len projected his voice a little louder so it could be heard across the hall, "find some horn players who hit the right notes and trumpets who have a sense of tone. As for the casting..."

Len seemed to be talking to himself now, his eyes on the floor in front of him, pacing back and forth with one finger at his chin, "There are two major rolls in this opera: the detective and the girl listening to his stories."

Len purposefully made his way through the crowd towards to where Kaito and Rin stood. As Len broke through the crowd and made it into Rin's sight, Rin leaned slightly forward in anticipation, but attempted to hold herself back as to not appear suspicious. Kaito, however, noticed Rin's every slightest move and glanced between Rin and the Opera Ghost. Len looked up, bringing both hands to his side and smiling.

"Kaito shall be taking a break in this production and will not be playing the lead male role, but rather be assigned to a minor one. I, personally, shall replace him."

The silence of the crowd was suddenly broken in louder murmurs and some cries of outrage. Len seemed to have expected this and glanced around at the people surrounding him, waiting for the noise to die down. Once the crowd had returned to whispers, he turned toward Rin, "And of course, our diva shall play the role of the girl."

When Len had finished speaking and locking his gaze on Rin's countenance, he seemed to be put into a trance. He parted his lips, dazed by her beauty as he looked from her eyes, down her neck, and to the ring that rested just below her collar bone. He slowly approached her until their bodies were merely inches apart and brought his hand up and cupped his palm around the ring that rested on her chest. Underneath her skin, Len could feel Rin's heart pounding and fluttering. He smiled at this and leaned forward to touch his forehead against hers, but he had felt an unexpected force that drew him away from her.

"You get away from her!"

Kaito now stood in front of Rin, eyebrows furrowed and clutching the handle on the sword at his side. He slowly drew it from its sheath and pointed the the gleaming blade forward. Len, whose eyes were filled with rage, scoffed at the point that was in front of him and laughed.

"Good sir, are you challenging me?"

"You have no right to be here or even touch our diva!"

Len's eye twitched as his blood boiled from Kaito's ignorance. If only he knew that he and Rin had been singing together all this time, if only he knew that her heart beat only for him, if only he knew that the ring around Rin's neck was his... and he had the nerve to say that Len did not have the right to even touch "their diva." Len moved back his coat, revealing the handle of the rapier strapped to his waist. Staring straight into Kaito's eyes, he drew it from its sheath and pointed it at his chin.

Once the ring of metal sounded in the air, the crowd quickly fled to the walls, leaving the open space to Len and Kaito. Someone had taken Rin away from them, yet she still struggled to be free to run to Len's side. The two stepped away from each other, crossing their rapiers close to the tip now. It seemed like an eternity before the first strike was made. When the first clash of metal echoed, Rin jumped at the sudden strike. Moving back and forth, Kaito and Len struck at each other as if they were vipers unleashing their venom. A musical array of clashes stung the air as metal scraped against metal. Len had managed to lunge forward and swipe his sword along Kaito's shoulder. Crying out in pain, Kaito glanced down at himself, seeing a spreading stain of crimson against blue. Clenching his teeth, he pushed himself forward knocking Len's sword to the side and thrusting his sword to strike Len. To Rin's relief, Len had barely moved in time to avoid the wound, but the swords once again clashed. Rin held her hand to her chest, clutching the ring in between her fingers, eyes filled with worry and fright.

Kaito's advances were much more forceful now, the clashing sounding more violent than ever. Len stepped further and further back, knocking away the blade that threatened him. Rin found herself stepping forward now, ignoring the complaints that told her to stay back. And she found herself running forward when Kaito had thrust his blade into Len's shoulder. Len let out a cry of pain that seemed to be a horrible, terrifying sound to Rin's ear. He immediately shoved a fist onto his wound, attempting to ease the pain, but Kaito had taken his coat off and swung it around his shoulders and threw it on top of Len's head, blinding him. When Kaito raised his sword to strike Len, he was suddenly stopped by Rin pulling down at his arm.

"Kaito, stop it!" She screamed.

Len struggled out of the coat that was thrown on him and fumbled for his sword, but seeing Rin clutching Kaito caused him to freeze his position. Breathing heavily, Kaito glanced between Rin and Len, seemingly debating on whether or not to ignore Rin and finish Len off. Rin's tight clutches caused him to sheathe his sword and take Rin by the shoulder and lead her away. Infuriated, Len ground his teeth together.

"Quick! Catch him!"

The new voices in the hall had caught Len by surprise. A force of men dressed in police uniforms came dashing into the entrance hall, charging toward Len. Cursing under his breath, Len rushed away off down a corridor, the police pursuing him. When they had followed him into the corridor he had entered, however, he was nowhere to be seen—as if he had vanished into thin air.

"Opera Ghost indeed..." One of them mumbled.

Meanwhile, Len found himself alone as he stepped onto the shore of his domain. Clutching his wound, he paced back and forth passed his many artistic creations, breathing heavily through clenched teeth. Letting out a cry, he ripped off his mask and swung his arms, capsizing a desk. He slid his hands across every surface, sheet music and scores everywhere and kicked easels that held masterful paintings. His hair now a tangled mess, Len stood huffing and staring off into the distance somewhere in his mind.

"He will regret the day _he_ _dared_ touch her."

* * *

"This music is absurd!" The maestro complained, "How can you possibly tune these chords?"

"What's more absurd is his demands! Should we give in to him? Why should we perform his work and give in to his demands?" An opera house manager exclaimed.

"Apparently it's already been announced to the public that we're rehearsing 'The Riddler Who Can't Solve Riddles...'"

"He's leaving us with no choice, then..." The maestro interjected.

"Fine—we'll perform his work, but I say we still put Kaito in the lead male role."

"That's all well and good, but how are we to _catch_ him? The police can only do so much."

The three men sitting in the office with papers on every surface all paused in thought. The three of them reminisced on the notes the Opera Ghost had sent, his behavior in the production of Romeo and Juliet, and his actions the night of the masquerade ball.

"Did you notice he took a particular fondness to Rin Kagamine?"

"Her voice does carry an enchanting appeal to it—perhaps he has fallen under her spell as well." The maestro said, closing the score that he held.

"Well, if that's the case, then we don't have to do anything—he will certainly be at the performance if Rin will sing the leading soprano part."

"And we will be certain that the police are there."

* * *

It had been several days since the masquerade ball and Rin had not heard from Len since.

Rin turned the pages of the score she had been given to practice. Even though her eyes passed along the notes inked on the page, her mind was hardly on the music. Rin's thoughts kept turning to Len and the spot of crimson that she had seen on him. Her stomach turned with concern as she turned another page—what was that last phrase like? She turned the page back and attempted to make sense of it, but to no avail. Glancing around the room at her now dying flowers, Rin set the score on her dresser and began pacing around in the room. She eventually found herself before the mirror, both her hands set on it and looking up at it longingly.

"Len..." She whispered with a trembling voice.

Before she knew it, his hands were touching hers from beyond the mirror, set in perfect symmetry just beyond. He faded into existence, staring down at her. Letting out a gasp of relief, Rin stepped back as Len came through the mirror to meet her. Butterflies flying around in her stomach and tears welling in her eyes, Rin threw herself to Len, tightly wrapping her arms around Len's back and burying her face onto his chest.

"Oh, Len... are you all right?" Rin sniffled, moving her hand to gently rub the wound now bandaged on his shoulder.

"Yes..." Len whispered, moving his fingers along her back and leaning his cheek on her head, "No one can take me away from you that easily."

* * *

_**A/N: **_Okay, let me first mention that I actually love horn players. XD I'm allowed to poke fun at them... the reason? I'm a horn player myself. And I also have the right to pick on trumpets. The reason? I'm a horn player. lolololol Anyway, the next chapter will most likely be the last one (that's why this one was short). So prepare yourself by getting something to throw-just in case. If all goes well, you probably should be screaming at the computer or something by the time I'm done.


	8. The Endless Song

**_A/N: _**Last chapter! I have to admit, this was the hardest one to write... I couldn't write it too fast because this literally can make or break the story. I hope I made it with this chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 8: The Endless Song_

As Rin descended the stairs, she could see the cast members bustling around, fumbling to get ready for the first rehearsal of "The Riddler Who Can't Solve Riddles." However, unlike the first time she walked down the stairs in her costume, not as many glances turned in her direction, and those who did look at her whispered with apprehensiveness in their eyes. Ever since the masquerade ball, Rin had been the talk of rumors. The most popular subject of gossip was the conflict between her, Kaito, and the Opera Ghost. Some expressed deep concern, and others were extremely suspicious of her. Four months ago, Rin would have fretted over this endlessly, but instead she found herself being rather indifferent to it all—in fact, it was a little amusing.

In the midst of the crowd, she could see Miku peeking out from a corner from backstage. Following her gaze, Rin saw that she was trying to catch a glimpse of Kaito, who was out on stage being more rough than usual to his attendants due to his stress. Rin looked toward Miku again and at that exact moment, their eyes met. Once their gazes crossed, Rin smiled to greet her, but Miku quickly turned away and shrouded herself in the crowd, keeping her head low. Rin grew slightly annoyed at this. She knew perfectly well of Miku's suspicions of her and Kaito, but they weren't true in the slightest. If they were friends, why did she not trust her? Furrowing her eyebrows, Rin stomped down the stairs and shoved her way through the crowd.

Rin hounded her way towards Miku, pushing people in her way aside. When she had approached Miku, Rin briskly grasped her shoulder and whirled her around so that they faced each other. Miku's expression expressed complete shock and outrage, and when she had seen that it was Rin that had turned her around, her eyes widened even more.

"Why do you act this way?" Rin's voice was sharp and loud. Some of the cast members that passed by glanced to take a look.

Miku was taken aback at first, nearly completely intimidated by Rin's sudden outburst. However her bottled up frustration and rage had surfaced and narrowing her eyes, Miku leaned her body forward trying to match Rin.

"You should know why!" Miku cried, "It makes me sick! The way you completely ignore my feelings! The way you completely distance yourself from me now—"

"I distance myself from you?" Rin was nearly laughing, "I beg to differ! It's you who have been avoiding my glance whenever we meet!"

"What happened to the promise we made back then, Rin?" Miku completely ignored Rin's last comment—hoping that by bringing up their past, she'd be willing to submit, "What happened to our vow as friends to support each other no matter what? To help each other to be the happiest we can be? You're taking away my happiness!"

Rin ground her teeth together, "If you'd open your eyes, you'd see that it's not the way that it appears!" And within her mind, Rin screamed, _because I love Len—not Kaito!_

With that, Miku let out a cry of complaint and stormed off out of the backstage area. Rin stared after her for a moment, thinking to herself if Miku was really that dull-witted to not believe her words. When Rin had realized that a handful of the other cast members were watching her, murmuring, she grudgingly turned and walked out onto the stage where the set was already set up. To distract her mind, she observed its every detail.

The first thing Rin had noticed was the black and white checkerboard floor, then trailing her eyes upward, she saw panels painted white to serve as walls. There were arched windows that accented the walls to match the floor with black curtains hanging behind them and on top of white shelves sat black books. Rin glanced down at her costume, a black dress, and realized how perfectly it matched. Not only was everything in perfect, beautiful harmony, but intricate detail. The tables were carved with beautiful, simple design and atop one was a single wine glass accompanied by a wine bottle. That, no doubt, was in reference to the song, Rin observed.

Seeing the set had calmed her down a bit, knowing that this was, in a way, Len's work. She could see his hand was somehow behind it—his mind, his heart—the very essence of his soul. Her train of thought was broken when Kaito had spoken up to her.

"Ah, Rin, there you are!"

Rin, already annoyed, looked at Kaito blankly. She curved the corner of her mouth upward, and then went back to observing the set around her. Kaito frowned, narrowing his eyes before snapping at one of his attendants again. Hearing Kaito's voice made Rin wonder about the casting for the role of the detective. Len had requested to play the lead part, but it was fairly obvious that the maestro and the opera house managers had not met that demand. She wondered why Len would allow someone as flawed as Kaito to take his place in rehearsals. But steadily, she remembered his words,

_"You will sing with me on the night of the performance assuredly."_

"Are we ready to begin?" The maestro interrupted.

With that, Rin stepped forward, preparing herself to sing.

* * *

"Attention, everyone!" One of the opera house managers had said to silence the gathered crowd, "From now on, in rehearsals and on the night of the performance, we shall be monitored by the police."

The police chief stepped forward—a man, to Rin's eyes, that seemed carry a deep and sinister aura. He held his hands behind his back and had a serious face that frowned, keeping his eyes narrow and surveying the shadows. Naturally, Rin was terrified of him. She could no longer hear what the opera house manager was saying, all she could focus on was the terrible countenance of the man that stood before them. When their two gazes met, a droplet of sweat rolled down her forehead. She wondered why everyone around her had the air of relief and confidence when this man obviously meant ill will.

And surely enough, day after day, Rin could see the police patrolling the opera house as she sung in rehearsal. It was somehow eerie, seeing shadows lurking in the back of the house and off-stage. As expected, the Opera Ghost had done nothing to disrupt rehearsals—Len knew that he was being pursued. Even so, Rin would be mindful of the shadows, and if she would see Len, she'd tell him to run far away—she felt it was the best option for him. Though the people around her were relieved in the safety that they thought they had, Rin felt as if she was in the hands of danger. She found herself wandering away to avoid those horrible pursuers during the breaks they had from rehearsal.

One day, as she walked in the dusty corridors behind the theater to get away from the policeman, she heard something that sounded like the wind at first.

"Rin..."

Rin jerked her head to the sound of her name. Only one person said it so sweetly... Only one person, who could sound as one with the breeze. At first she stopped, terrified that if she looked any farther, she would meet the gaze of a policeman, but the voice came gently again.

"Rin..."

"Come to the roof..." She whispered back. Rin had decided that she would take this chance to tell Len to get away from the opera house.

And with that she hurried off, her dress trailing behind her. She believed that no one could see her, that she was out of everyone's gaze. However, she was very wrong. Kaito had noticed Rin gazing off into the distance or looking up at the catwalk quite often the past few days. Several weeks ago, he would have thought nothing of it, but of course he knew better than that. He found himself glancing her way more often than before, or even following her as they took breaks from rehearsal, and of course this day was no exception. He quietly pursued her, climbing up flight after flight of stairs. He stopped for a moment when above him, Rin had opened the door to the highest level of the opera house—the roof.

The coldness that had touched Rin bit her warm skin. The snow of the late winter fell gently to the ground, and when she stepped out, into her hair as well. The sun had just fallen below the horizon, a color like blood staining the sky. It was as if a fire had set the air ablaze and the snow that fell was the ash from it. Rin shivered and glanced around herself. Suddenly a warmth covered her shoulders. She moved her fingers to what covered her now—a cloak black as night. Turning around, she saw a pair of blue eyes staring back at her. Len.

She moved toward him and gently set her head against his chest.

"What are you doing here?"

"I believe it was you who had told me to come to the roof." He chuckled.

"No, why are you still here when the police are after you?"

"It's because I still have something left to do." Len said, wrapping his arms around Rin and leaning his head against her.

"Can't you get away from the opera house?"

Len backed away for a moment, staring at Rin's face and moving his glance downward, following the nape of her neck down to the ring that sat on her chest. Moving his hands behind her head, he unhooked the chain that sat around her neck and brought the necklace in his hands. Slipping the ring into his palm, Len began to play with the metal band with his fingers until he had gripped it in between his finger and thumb. He had brought up Rin's left hand, her petite fingers resting in his palm, and slipped the ring onto her finger. Then holding it in between his hands and with a pounding heart, he brought his lips to her cheek.

"I cannot leave because you are here."

Kaito peered from behind a statue, his blood boiling within him in disbelief and rage. At that moment, everything he had suspected and feared had become reality to him. After seeing Rin in the Opera Ghost's arms, he leaned his head up against the stone that he hid behind and heaved a tense sigh. The more they spoke their sweet words to each other, the more his heart twisted with anger.

"I cannot build the perfect duet without you by my side." Len whispered.

"Will you be safe?"

"Don't worry... nothing will go wrong. Just keep singing."

Rin brought herself up towards Len, longing to warm the cold that was on her lips, longing to taste that fire that rested within his body. Bringing her hand up to the side of his head, she tangled her fingers in his hair, feeling both the strands of his golden locks and the ring around her finger.

Something pinched in the skin on Kaito's forehead. He clenched his fist and trembled as he saw Len move his lips against Rin's. Something that he so longed for was so easily obtained by this poor excuse for a man. Grinding his teeth together, he decided that if she would not come to him, he'd make it so that she was his.

* * *

The night of the performance had come. Like any other night before a show, Rin sat in her room preparing herself, brushing her hair and calming her nerves before getting on stage. She smiled at the flowers around her—this time being black roses and red carnations. Getting up to change from her robe to her costume, Rin heard a soft knock on her door. Could it be Miku? They had not talked to each other once since their argument. Cautiously turning the doorknob, she opened the door to find Kaito staring down at her, his hand leaning up against the door frame. She backed away slightly, pulling her robe tighter over her shoulders. Without a word, Kaito came forward. At first, he did not know what to speak, but when he broke the silence, he went straight to the point.

"How long have you been with him?" He said in a low voice.

"W-What do you mean?" Rin's heart slowly began to pound.

"You know very well what I mean," Kaito pushed Rin up against the mirror on the other side of the room, moving his lips close to her skin, "That Opera Ghost..."

The sweat on Rin's forehead ran cold.

"Len..."

"So that's his name?" Kaito began moving his hands towards Rin, "Are you in league with him?"

"N-No... we just..."

"...Are in love?" Kaito finished, his voice now shaking, "Do you realize what he is? He cannot compare to me—a corrupt soul to a pure one..."

He brushed his hand against her cheek. Rin moved it out of the way, furrowing her eyebrows, but she had found that her cheeks were gripped by both Kaito's hands now.

"I'm so much better for you..."

Kaito then moved his lips to Rin's neck. Rin began to struggle and when she had brought up her hands to strike back, she found her wrists restrained. Her frail body couldn't compare to Kaito's strength, and she found herself moving against her will toward her bed. The air against her lips had vanished when her head collided against her pillow. No matter how much she struggled and fought, she could not move. Kaito slipped his hands all over her body, kissing her coldly. Rin could feel her robe slipping off, exposing her bare shoulders, which Kaito had begun to kiss. Rin clenched her fists in Kaito's hair, trying to force him off.

* * *

Miku sat in the dressing room, staring at her reflection. She had counted the days since she had not spoken to Rin. She had regretted being apart from her for so long... but how could she face her? She was taking Kaito from her... The smiles Kaito had given Miku, the dances that he had graced her with... that all had meant something, right? Those weren't fake memories and lies—right?

But Rin was her childhood friend... surely she could see her feelings for Kaito. Maybe it was wrong of her to assume the things she did, but she couldn't help but feel suspicion. Miku had already spoken to her once, but maybe a second time would be best—after all... they were friends. Miku stood from her seat, and slowly made her way up to Rin's room.

* * *

"Len!" Rin had gasped in between kisses—her voice frantic.

When his name had spilled from her lips, she felt Kaito being torn away from her and a black cloak shrouded her vision.

Len had grabbed the back of Kaito's collar and whirled him around so that they now faced each other. With a fire burning in the blue sea of his eyes, Len pushed Kaito against the wall and restrained him. Kaito had opened his mouth to scream, but with a gloved hand, Len covered it.

"Enough..."

And with that, Len had produced a knife from his cloak and immediately plunged it into Kaito's chest.

A choked gasp had escaped Kaito's lungs... and then another as Len stabbed him again and again. Blood pouring from all the open wounds in his body, Kaito fell toward the ground now mangled in crimson. Len dropped the knife at his side.

"He doesn't even deserve to be made into art." He turned toward a very relieved Rin, "Come, it is time for us to perform."

And with a smile, he slipped off his bloody gloves and took Rin's hand.

* * *

There was something strange in the air when Miku had reached the corridor where the chamber of the diva remained. Her steps became slower and slower, a horrible sense of foreboding overpowering her. She shook her head. Why was she so nervous? Rin was surely willing to talk to her. Yet she still trembled as she knocked on the door.

"Rin?"

No answer.

Once again, Miku knocked, but still received no answer. Slowly, her hand drifted toward the doorknob now. It had taken her a moment to turn it, but when she had pushed open the door, she had found no one inside. Miku stepped forward, confusion clouding her mind. She then surveyed the room. She stopped cold when she saw the edge of a puddle of blood and following its pathway, she found Kaito's lifeless body, eyes wide with terror.

Miku's knees began to tremble and she collapsed at the sight of crimson pouring from Kaito's mouth. All air seemed to escape from her lungs—she could not cry out, she was so overwhelmed by the sudden shock and terror. She then began to crawl towards Kaito, shaky moaning passing her lips. Then the tears came.

"Did Rin do this to you...?"

There was no other explanation... Kaito was here in her room... no one else was in here before the performance. Rin had become more distant... how did she know that she hadn't slowly been tainted? Miku traced her fingers over Kaito's cold cheek.

"Unforgivable..."

* * *

The unknowing audience eagerly awaited the performance to start. They were intrigued that the Vocaloid Opera House had taken up a production that had never been performed in music history, and they were eager to see its debut. The opera house managers were anxiously watching from their box with the police chief standing attentively next to them. In every corner, a policeman lay in wait. When the curtains rolled back, the audience immediately went into applause. The maestro down in the pit brought up his baton, made the prep beat, and brought forth the down beat.

When the orchestra had begun to play, so did the opera. The beginning had passed by normally at first, but then the moment came for the duet...

Len came onto the stage like a shadow on one side, and Rin stepped forward on the other, her grace enchanting. Any murmurs that were being uttered in the audience suddenly came to a complete silence. Len, dressed as the lead role, the detective, stepped forward toward Rin. Of course everyone noticed that Kaito was not the man on stage, but there was a spell about him that kept them still. And when he began to sing his part, it was as if a spider had caught a fly in its web. Rin had stepped forward and had begun to sing her part just as beautifully. Then, their hands entwining, they had begun to sing a duet that rang throughout the hall brilliantly—a perfect duet. The audience was caught in a different world, a world of beautiful music, a world of night. As the orchestra faded into silence, Len brought his lips close to Rin's ear.

"You are the same as me..."

"STOP!"

Rin and Len's spell had been broken by the sudden scream. The audience had once again erupted into murmurs when Miku came stumbling out on stage, breathing heavily. She spotted Rin and next moved her eyes toward the man that stood next to her—the Opera Ghost... so that's how it was.

"Kaito is dead!" She held up the bloody shirt that she had torn from the corpse's body before tearing out of the room, "And our diva, Rin Kagamine is the culprit!"

The murmurs had escalated now. Miku breathed a few heavy breaths before continuing on.

"And that man beside her is the Opera Ghost! She's in league with him!"

Broken from the spell, the police began to stream out onto the stage, cries of outrage coming from the audience, half in disbelief and half already in disgust. Miku clutched the bloody shirt to her chest, glaring at Rin, who had moved closer to Len.

Seeing that they were completely surrounded, Len grabbed Rin's hand and quickly moved out of sight, disappearing as quickly as possible. Grinding her teeth together, Miku set after against them. Driven by rage, Miku had even outrun the police and had kept a close trail behind them to the point where she could see Rin and Len disappear into a hidden crevice. Following them in, Miku found herself in dark, unfamiliar passageways in the opera house. The only thing she could hear was her breathing and a heavy heart pounding underneath her chest. Down and down she descended, seemingly to hell, following after Rin and Len. The voices from above eventually faded into nothing and she eventually found herself walking into an enchanted world, painted with the blue light of darkness.

Miku's relentless pursuit had temporarily stopped when she found herself at the edge of a misty lake. She could hear a voice echoing just beyond it—Rin's voice. Miku stepped forward, plunging her legs into the water and pushing her way forward until she had found a beautiful, gothic haven. Climbing up onto the shore, she saw that on a bed with velvet sheets Rin was leaning against Len's chest, clutching his shoulder as he had his arms around her. With glazed eyes, Rin's singing voice pierced the air while a smile was spread across Len's lips.

"Rin!"

Silence.

Rin slowly raised herself from Len and looked at Miku. Miku had drawn the bloody knife that she had found near Kaito's mangled corpse and held it in front of her, her hands shaking.

"Why did you kill him, Rin?" Miku screamed, "Unforgivable!"

Rin stood up and slowly walked towards Miku, calm and collected.

"Miku..."

"You stole him from me! _Why?_"

"It was I who killed him."

Both Miku and Rin turned to look at Len, who had also stood himself up and walked to Rin's side, "He had defiled the world of perfect music and tried to taint Rin's body."

Miku's eyes narrowed as she slowly began to step forward. Rin watched her, and what seconds seemed like an eternity—Miku, a woman now possessed by wrath, stalking towards her.

"Then, Opera Ghost, I shall kill you!"

_"Rin..."_

The sound of Miku's voice when they were children echoed through her mind...

_"We'll always be friends, won't we?" _She had said.

_"Yes, Miku!"_

_"We'll always help each other find happiness and love?"_

_"Of course!"_

_"And we'll stay by each others side?"_

_"Forever and always..."_

When Miku had charged them, Rin had quickly moved her hand to the handle of the knife that Miku had held. The blade turned toward Miku's chest and pierced it. Stopping short, Miku looked into Rin's eyes for a long moment. Tears now streamed down her cheeks as blood began to pour from her mouth. Then, eyes rolling back, Miku fell forward still and silent. Rin stepped back, a wave of shock overpowering her.

_"Father..."_ She thought.

But she found that hardly mattered anymore—her and her father's dream. The more she sung with Len, the more she came to realize what she truly wanted... she wanted to strive for the beautiful world of perfect music... a world of flawlessness... and Miku and Kaito simply didn't belong there, so they were erased—it was simple as that. This was a world for her and Len. Then gently, a warm embrace enveloped her. She smiled as Len spoke to her, stroking his hands against her body.

"You alone can make my song take flight..." Len began, "Let's make this world our own."

"You and I shall make the perfect duet..." Rin replied, turning around and entwining her hands with Len's, "And if anyone is to come into our world... we'll simply sing for them."

And since that day, no one had crossed their path without vanishing—and an endless song forever rang from their world of night.

* * *

**_A/N: _**So I want you guys to watch Rin and Len's Riddler series... and think why I decided to choose that as a reference in this story... make sure you watch both. :3 Also, a disclaimer... I actually really like Kaito as a Vocaloid-for the story's purposes, though, I had to make him a complete jerk. XD And I don't mind Miku that much. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you haven't left a review, please leave one so I can know what you guys think!


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